Tet passenger cars run out of tickets, buses outside the station increase prices

Buses in the station simultaneously run out of tickets during peak hours

Recorded at the new Mien Dong Bus Station, representatives of Lien Hung bus company said that all tickets for the Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang route on peak days from February 11 - 14 (ie December 24 - 27 of the lunar calendar) have been sold out.

Similarly, Chin Nghia bus company (Ho Chi Minh City - Quang Ngai route) sold out tickets during the peak period from December 23rd to 28th of the lunar calendar. During Tet, airlines such as Lien Hung and Chin Nghia adjusted ticket prices to increase by about 40 - 60% compared to normal days. Phuong Trang bus company also recorded a "full seat" situation on routes to the Central region.

A representative of the airline said that during the 2026 Lunar New Year, Phuong Trang plans to supply about 200,000 tickets, with a price increase of no more than 20% compared to normal days. Due to the lower increase than many other airlines, Phuong Trang's tickets often run out early on peak days.

Representatives of Mien Dong Bus Station said that from December 23rd to 28th of the lunar calendar, routes from Nha Trang to Hue are almost out of tickets; especially routes to Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ngai have sold out during the peak period from December 20th to 29th of the lunar calendar.

Due to the scarcity of sleeper buses, many transport businesses are forced to increase seat buses to relieve passengers. Representatives of Phuong Trang bus company said that they are mobilizing more vehicles from routes with few passengers to routes with high demand to meet travel needs during Tet.

Buses outside the station "overcharge" fares

In contrast to the situation inside the station, many bus companies operating outside the station take advantage of peak times to push ticket prices to very high levels. In the Pham Ngu Lao street area, many buses disguise themselves as "tourism contracts" but actually pick up and drop off passengers like fixed routes.

Recorded at the K.P bus company office, staff quoted the ticket price for the Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang route on February 14 (Tet) for 20-bed limousine buses at 1,320,000 VND/double room (2 passengers). Meanwhile, the normal day ticket price for this type of bus is only 650,000 VND/double room, equivalent to an increase of more than 103%. For the same type of bus, single room tickets for 1 person are sold at 880,000 VND (not including an additional fee of 150,000 VND if children are included), while on normal days it is only 450,000 VND, an increase of about 95.6%.

Similarly, H.G bus company sells tickets for the Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang route on weekdays at 480,000 VND/ticket for a 21-bed limousine and 280,000 VND/ticket for a 34-seat sleeper. But during the Tet peak season, ticket prices were pushed up to 900,000 VND and 540,000 VND respectively, corresponding to an increase of 87.5% and 92.9%.

Many other bus companies such as P.N, T.L.V with offices on Pham Ngu Lao street also simultaneously quoted Tet fares increasing by 90% or more compared to normal days.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh (from Khanh Hoa) said that because she could not buy tickets in the station, she was forced to buy bus tickets outside the station at a high price.

I bought 2 bus tickets from K.P company from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang on the 27th of Tet for 2,640,000 VND. Knowing that the ticket has almost doubled, but I have to accept it because the buses in the station have run out of tickets" - Ms. Lan Anh said.

Functional sectors get involved in controlling ticket prices

According to Mr. Do Diep Gia Hop - Deputy Head of the Department of Maintenance and Operation of Transport Works (Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction), during the 2026 Lunar New Year, fixed-route passenger bus ticket prices are allowed to increase from 40 - 60% depending on the area and time to compensate for empty buses running in the opposite direction.

Transport businesses must declare ticket prices, send them to functional agencies and publicly announce them at both ends of the station. Functional agencies will strengthen inspection and supervision of ticket listing and sales at counters in the station, and strictly handle cases of selling at wrong prices and not listing prices.

Regarding the situation of buses outside the station increasing prices beyond the framework, representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction said that there are currently many units abandoning the station, operating in the form of contract cars, tourist cars, causing difficulties for management. Handling problems due to unclear legal regulations, while the data exploitation system from journey monitoring devices has not been fully upgraded.

In the near future, the Department of Construction will coordinate with the Department of Finance to establish an inspection team of transport units operating outside the station. At the same time, it is recommended that people when encountering the situation of "overcharging" fares, coercion to use services, threats or insults can report through Portal 1022 for reception and handling.