Mien Dong Bus Station, which was invested with more than 4,000 billion VND and planned to serve more than 7 million passengers per year, is currently facing a serious lack of passengers, especially before Tet.
Meanwhile, people, instead of going to the bus station to buy tickets, flocked to the "illegal bus stations" on Highway 1 to catch "illegal buses" to return to their hometowns.
It is worth mentioning that the lack of passengers at this bus station is not new but has lasted from 2020 until now with an average capacity of about 5%.
The reason why Mien Dong bus station is deserted is because in Ho Chi Minh City there are 79 illegal bus stations picking up and dropping off passengers illegally, mainly concentrated in Thu Duc City, District 5, District 1 and District 10.
These "illegal buses and stations" not only reduce the number of passengers coming to Mien Dong bus station but also create traffic jams and inconvenience for people participating in traffic. The Ho Chi Minh City Police's campaign to inspect "illegal buses and stations" lasting until February 14, 2025 is a necessary step to restore order.
And this needs to be done regularly and effectively by the Ho Chi Minh City Police to prevent and eliminate this situation from recurring in the future, not just "taking action" and launching "campaigns" every now and then as is being done.
However, blaming the lack of passengers at Mien Dong bus station on illegal buses and stations is an unfair and objective approach. In fact, the problem lies deeper in the management, operation and service quality of Mien Dong bus station.
For many years, Mien Dong bus station and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport have proposed many solutions to attract customers and compete with "illegal buses and stations".
In particular, Phuong Trang Company will coordinate with Phuong Trang to arrange 60 vehicles to transport passengers free of charge from the new Mien Dong bus station to districts and vice versa for all fixed routes registered to operate at the station from 2022.
However, this solution has not shown its effectiveness, the number of customers using the free shuttle service is not high because the transfer time is long, and the convenience is still not better than "illegal buses and stations".
Mien Dong Bus Station needs a comprehensive "major surgery" to find a solution to the problem of competing with "illegal buses and stations" in terms of service, convenience, and closeness... to its customers - its "Gods".
The failure of Mien Dong bus station in the face of illegal buses and stations up to this point is not only a failure in management, operation and service but also an old but always new lesson about the importance of listening to and responding to people's needs in many areas.
An efficient public transport system requires not only investment in infrastructure but also professional management, excellent customer service and the ability to adapt flexibly to market fluctuations.
