At the Western Bus Station, from 3:00 p.m. on April 29, the crowds began. The routes leading to the bus station, vehicles continuously enter and exit. Inside the station, the waiting lines were packed with passengers, mostly passengers who had purchased tickets in advance and waited at the station until boarding time.
According to the reporter's records, before the April 30 and May 15 holidays, although the number of visitors is somewhat smaller than previous years, bus companies are still proactively increasing the number of trips to serve the travel needs of the people.
Ms. Thao An, an employee of a bus company running the Soc Trang - Ho Chi Minh City route, said: "This year the number of customers seems to be less than 3 years ago. Perhaps before the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy was more stable, so people spent more money to return home. Ticket prices in those years often increase much higher than at present".
Ms. An also explained that this year, many people choose to travel by motorbike to save costs and conveniently shop and live in their hometown. In particular, Soc Trang route has a large Khmer population, and people have just experienced many major festivals, so the demand for travel on this April 30 has decreased somewhat compared to previous years. "The buses are still full, but the number of passengers is no longer as crowded as before," said Ms. An.
Regarding ticket prices, Ms. An said that the current ticket price for the Soc Trang route is 220,000 VND/ticket, an increase of 160,000 VND/ticket compared to normal days. This increase is within the regulation allowed to be below 60%.
A representative of Mien Tay Bus Station said that the number of passengers and vehicles departing from the station during the April 30 and May 15, 2025 holidays is expected to increase by more than 5% compared to the same period last year. The peak is expected to fall on April 30 (Wednesday), with about 61,500 visitors and 2,120 departures, up 119% and 63% respectively compared to normal days.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien, Deputy General Director of Mien Tay Bus Station, said that the bus station will organize ticket sales by trust from 5am to 9pm every day during the peak of the holiday (April 29 - May 4, 2025). Self-vehicle transport companies will operate 24/7.
Many branded car companies such as Phuong Trang, Kumho Samco, Tuan Nga, Hung Cuong (An Giang) also plan to sell tickets in advance through their own hotline and website after declaring ticket prices according to regulations.
Mien Tay Bus Station requires transport units to declare increased ticket prices (if any) to send a document to the authorities and notify the bus station for public posting.
Routes in the Mekong Delta are adjusted to increase prices by no more than 40% compared to normal days, with a maximum price increase of 2 days. Ticket prices for the Central Highlands, Central and Northern regions will be applied according to the holiday service plan of the new Eastern Bus Station and the new Eastern Bus Station.
For contract vehicles, buses and enhanced vehicles, Mien Tay Bus Station will base on the ticket prices declared by transport units to build its own price list.
Mien Tay Bus Station will increase staff to guide passengers to buy tickets, get on the bus, ensure order, avoid jostling and driving the wrong bus. The coordination of buses to pick up and drop off passengers is also focused on to avoid traffic congestion in the wharf.
In addition, the bus station will closely coordinate with authorities to ensure security and order, prevent fire and explosion, maintain environmental sanitation and strictly handle cases of picking up and dropping off passengers in front of the bus station.
