Illegal buses run rampant, Tet bus ticket prices skyrocket in HCMC

Ticket prices are skyrocketing.

At the new Eastern Bus Station (Thu Duc City), Chin Nghia bus company running the Ho Chi Minh City - Quang Ngai route announced that it was out of sleeper bus tickets from January 22 to January 26, 2025 (23 to 27 of Tet). Similarly, Phuong Trang bus company also announced that it was out of sleeper bus tickets to the Central provinces from the 24 to 27 of Tet.

Meanwhile, many bus companies outside the station are taking advantage of the high demand to push ticket prices to "exorbitant" levels. In the Pham Ngu Lao area (District 1), many bus companies are hiding behind "tourist contracts" to sell tickets for the HCMC - Nha Trang route at exorbitant prices.

T.L.V bus company announced ticket prices on January 25, 2025 (26th of Lunar New Year) as follows: 20-bed Limousine: 950,000 VND/ticket (only 400,000 VND on weekdays); 30-bed Limousine: 650,000 VND/ticket (250,000 VND on weekdays); 40-seat sleeper bus: 550,000 VND/ticket (210,000 VND on weekdays). Thus, ticket prices increased from 135% to 161% compared to weekdays.

K.P bus company also increased prices sharply when the Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang route on January 25, 2025 quoted 900,000 VND/ticket (20-bed Limousine bus), while on normal days it was only 480,000 VND, an increase of more than 87%.

Speaking to Lao Dong, Mr. Dam Phan Phat - Deputy Chief Inspector of Traffic (HCMC Department of Transport) - said that bus companies in the station are only allowed to increase prices by 40-60% depending on the route, applicable from January 19 to February 7, 2025 (ie from December 20 to January 10 of the lunar calendar). However, Mr. Dam Phan Phat admitted that the situation of disguised contract buses outside the station is difficult to control. Mr. Dam Phan Phat recommends that people should buy tickets at the main bus station to avoid being "ripped off".

New Eastern Bus Station continues to be deserted

The new Eastern Bus Station - the most modern in the country - is still deserted. After more than 4 years of operation, the number of passengers passing through the station has only reached nearly 5% of capacity.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Huy - General Director of the new Eastern Bus Station - forecasts that in the 10 days before Tet, the station will serve about 90,000 passengers, an increase of only 4% compared to last year. After Tet, the number of passengers is estimated at about 48,000, a slight increase of 2%.

According to Mr. Huy, the rampant operation of illegal buses and bus stations is the main reason why the new Mien Dong bus station has few passengers. Some bus companies also organize to pick up passengers around the bus station area, even opening offices near the station. Some transport companies have moved to other inter-provincial bus stations in the city or used contracted vehicles, causing the station to lose a significant number of potential transport units, directly affecting the number of passengers.

In order to attract passengers, from January 1, 2025, the new Eastern Bus Station will deploy a 24/7 shuttle bus service through central districts such as Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, Go Vap and Thu Duc City.

Shuttle buses will operate all week, including holidays and Tet, from 0:00 to 24:00, with the cost integrated into the ticket price. Passengers can track the route and update the flexible stops via the phone application, making travel more convenient.

A representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport said that they have directed the Traffic Inspectorate to coordinate with relevant units to strengthen inspection and handling of illegal vehicles and bus stations at gateways, bus stations and airport areas. At the same time, local authorities are also required to strictly handle parking lots and gas stations that have turned into illegal bus stations.