At about 5 pm, the ticket counter area was quite deserted. Many counters were closed, and only a few passengers were scattered asking for information.
People who need to go immediately in the afternoon of the 28th of Tet can easily buy tickets, no longer experiencing "ticket outage" like on the 24th - 27th days of the twelfth lunar month.
Inside the parking lot, drivers leisurely check luggage before departure. According to records, most vehicles leaving the station do not fill seats.
Amidst that sparse stream of people is the family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh (33 years old), carrying luggage, leading her young child to prepare to return to her mother's hometown in Dak Lak. She said that the couple works in state agencies, having to stay in Ho Chi Minh City until near Tet to clean up and take care of worshiping, so they can only return to their hometown on the 28th of Tet.
My husband and I booked tickets half a month in advance, so today we just went to the station to wait for the bus. We arrived a little late but still had time to reunite with grandparents" - Ms. Binh shared.
Sitting in the waiting row near the car door, Mr. Tran Van Hung (27 years old, from Quang Ngai), a mechanical worker, said that this year the workshop has many orders, so he asked to stay to work extra until the 28th of Tet before taking a break.
If I earn a little extra money, I will have lucky money for my parents when I get home. My mother said she doesn't need any gifts, just let me go home. Hearing that, I naturally feel guilty because I come home early every year" - Mr. Hung smiled.
In another corner, Ms. Le Thi Ngoc Mai (40 years old, from Gia Lai) took the opportunity to video call her 5-year-old son who is in the countryside with his grandparents. She works as a saleswoman, having to be on duty until the end of the 28th day of Tet before being off work.
You keep asking mom if she's home yet? I said mom is home tomorrow, just wait for mom for another night. Hearing you say you miss mom, I feel so sorry for you" - Ms. Mai choked up.
After most inter-provincial routes were relocated to the new Mien Dong Bus Station, currently the old bus station in the inner city still has routes to provinces such as Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dong Nai, Gia Lai, Quang Ngai...
Representatives of the old Mien Dong Bus Station said that 10 days before Tet, the total number of passengers through the station reached more than 160,000. Especially during the peak period from December 24 to 28, the number of passengers through the station reached about 20,000 people per day.
