From December 22 to December 27, Metro Line 1 ran 1,140 trips, carrying more than 531,000 passengers, far exceeding the original plan.
The question is, from January 21, 2025, Metro Line 1 will officially collect fees from 6,000 to 20,000 VND/trip, depending on the distance. Will Metro Line 1 still be "popular"?
Many people think that because the first days are free, many people choose to take the metro, but when it starts charging, they will consider it. Furthermore, last week, many people took the metro because they were curious and wanted to try it out.
These two opinions are not wrong, but there is another perspective, which is that the majority choose Metro Line 1 to travel because this public transport meets their needs. Sharing with the press, many passengers said that they have been waiting for Metro Line 1 for a long time and were really satisfied with the actual experience.
A modern, safe, convenient means of public transport is of course the priority choice of the people. Few people will choose to use personal vehicles, while it only costs a few thousand to 20,000 VND to take the metro. Not to mention, if you buy a monthly ticket for only 300,000 VND, students get a discount of half.
Therefore, it is predictable that when the toll is officially collected, Metro Line 1 will still attract a lot of passengers. Even more so, as people form the habit of traveling by this means of transport.
The people's acceptance of Metro Line 1 shows that if the government creates convenient public transportation products, people are willing to give up their personal vehicles. This change does not come from propaganda, but from the benefits that people enjoy.
Also from the reception of more than half a million passengers in 6 days for Metro Line 1, it shows that Ho Chi Minh City needs to speed up the remaining metro projects. The city's ambition to build more than 500km of metro must be realized as soon as possible.
With another metro line in operation, people will be able to travel by modern public transport, making the city more civilized. Metro not only contributes to changing the face of traffic and urban beauty, but also improves environmental pollution.
