Le Van Dao, chief operating officer of Hoa Mai bus company, which operates the TP HCM – Vung Tau route, stated that gasoline prices have increased sharply since March, driving up input costs. The company raised ticket prices to partially offset this and reduced the number of services by 30-40%, focusing on peak hours to increase occupancy rates.

According to Dao, despite adjustments, operations remain under pressure. Holiday plans are carefully calculated regarding service frequency. "We will flexibly increase services based on actual demand to both serve customers and ensure efficiency", he said.

Customers waiting to board a bus at the new Mien Dong Bus Station, 2/2026. Photo: Giang Anh.

Similarly, Mai Xuan Trinh, an operations staff member at Kumho Samco bus company, stated that the company operates routes to Phan Thiet, Buon Ma Thuot, Ha Tien, Rach Gia, and other destinations. However, they will not increase services as sharply as before, instead closely monitoring market developments. The number of services is expected to increase about four times compared to regular days but will only reach 60-70% of previous peak periods.

The company stated that dispatching vehicles now relies heavily on actual ticket bookings, rather than just forecasts. Additionally, driver scheduling is being recalculated to balance costs and revenue.

According to businesses, fuel accounts for about 30-40% of total costs. While prices have fluctuated sharply recently, this has forced many operators to cut 20-70% of services or maintain minimal operations. Therefore, despite increased demand during the holidays, the general sentiment remains cautious.

Beyond costs, passengers tend to purchase tickets close to the departure date, making early forecasting difficult. Furthermore, the increasing use of personal vehicles or self-drive rentals means the number of passengers passing through bus stations no longer sees a sudden surge as before.

People inquiring about tickets at the new Mien Dong Bus Station, 2/2026. Photo: Giang Anh.

According to the Department of Construction of TP HCM, for Hung Kings' Commemoration Day and the 30/4–1/5 holiday this year, the number of passengers passing through inter-provincial bus stations is expected to increase by 4-6% compared to the same period last year. Specifically for the 30/4–1/5 holiday, an average of nearly 90,000 passengers per day is anticipated, with over 4,700 services operating.

In the TP HCM area, an estimated nearly 79,000 passengers and about 3,872 departures are expected daily. Mien Dong Bus Station (old Binh Thanh location) expects to serve over 66,000 passengers over six days, corresponding to more than 3,100 services.

The new Mien Dong Bus Station (Thu Duc City) is estimated to handle about 97,000 passengers with nearly 5,000 services. Meanwhile, Mien Tay Bus Station – which primarily serves short-haul routes – anticipates welcoming over 250,000 passengers, with peak days on 29–30/4 seeing over 60,000 passengers daily.

Holiday ticket prices at the stations may increase by up to 40%, depending on the route and time, to compensate for empty return trips. However, many businesses had already raised prices due to fuel costs and do not plan further adjustments.

Bus picking up passengers at Mien Tay Bus Station. Photo: Dinh Van.

To manage this, bus stations require businesses to declare and publicly list ticket prices before sales. They also prepare plans to increase vehicle capacity, ready to alleviate congestion when passenger numbers rise, and coordinate traffic management if congestion occurs.

Currently, TP HCM has over 2,100 fixed bus routes with 97 operators running more than 2,700 vehicles, making it one of the largest networks nationwide. Facing cost challenges, many businesses have proposed reducing road tolls and related service fees. This proposal is being compiled for submission to competent authorities for consideration.

Giang Anh