Ho Chi Minh City is implementing free tickets on all 134 bus routes from July 1 to the end of 2026 to encourage people to use public transport.
In the process of implementation, passenger information verification using CCCD, VNeID or electronic methods has been applied to serve statistics and evaluate policy effectiveness.
However, this form is still inconvenient for some groups of passengers, especially the elderly and people with disabilities.
In order to create convenience for people and gradually complete the electronic ticket system, Ho Chi Minh City will deploy the issuance of public transport cards. This is also one of the key tasks to be implemented in the coming time according to Decision 3974 of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee.
According to the plan, public transport cards will be issued to 5 groups of subjects including: people with meritorious services, people with disabilities, the elderly, children under 6 years old and students.
Information at the preliminary conference after a month of implementing the bus ticket exemption policy on July 30, Mr. Le Hoan - Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Center (Department of Construction) said that in the initial phase, the card will be issued to subjects who are 100% free of bus and Metro No. 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) tickets according to current regulations, including: People with meritorious services to the revolution, the elderly, people with disabilities and children under 6 years old.
For students, the center is coordinating with the Department of Education and Training to develop a plan for implementation in the next phase.
People can register for card issuance in two forms: direct or online. After completing the procedures, the card will be issued and sent to the address according to the needs of the registry.
Public transport cards are designed to be compact, integrate QR codes, support quick authentication, allow inter-route travel and use on all 134 bus routes along with Metro Line 1. The deployment of cards is also a step forward in the roadmap to complete the electronic ticket system of Ho Chi Minh City's public transport.
According to the Public Transport Management Center, the issuance of cards is expected to start from the beginning of August, contributing to facilitating people's access to public transport services, while encouraging the use of buses and metro more.
