On May 19, Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Company Limited No. 1 (HURC) announced the "Gratitude ATM ticket" program on Metro Line No. 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien).
The program is implemented by HURC in coordination with Ho Chi Minh City Radio and Television Station (HTV), officially operating from June 5, 2026 at Ben Thanh station and Suoi Tien Bus Station.
According to HURC, "ATM of compassionate tickets" aims to support groups of passengers in difficult circumstances such as students; workers, low-income workers and people in need of daily travel expenses.
The program's funding is contributed from businesses, organizations and accompanying individuals, not using the state budget.
To date, the program has mobilized a basic ticket fund, enough to provide about 500 - 1,000 free tickets per day.
Passengers in need of support can receive tickets through automatic ticket kiosks, called "ATM tickets of gratitude", installed at Ben Thanh station and Suoi Tien Bus Station.
Users only need to use their Citizen Identity Card or VNeID application to scan the QR code, choose the route and receive a free train ticket directly at the machine.
The system will record identification data and ticket usage information for comparison. Each person receives a ticket for each operation and it takes at least 30 minutes to receive the next ticket.
Mr. Le Minh Triet - Director of HURC - said that the program not only supports free Metro tickets but also spreads the spirit of sharing, connecting the community and encouraging people to use green public transport.
We expect the program to contribute to building a more modern, humane and meaningful Ho Chi Minh City every day" - Mr. Triet said.
Metro Line 1 officially went into commercial operation from December 22, 2024. To date, the line has served nearly 30 million passengers.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City is exempting Metro Line 1 tickets for many priority groups such as people with meritorious services to the revolution, people with disabilities, elderly people aged 60 and over, and children under 6 years old.
For students, the city supports a 50% discount on monthly tickets, to 150,000 VND/person/month.
