Ho Chi Minh City's first metro line expects to operate over 4,800 trips during this year's Tet holiday, according to the Public Transport Management Center, an agency under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction.
On New Year's Eve, the early morning of the first day of Tet, 17/2, the metro system will begin operations earlier than usual. This aims to manage the significant passenger flow after entertainment activities and fireworks displays in the city center. The first trains are scheduled to depart at 12:34 AM from Ba Son station, 12:38 AM from City Theater station, and 12:42 AM from Ben Thanh station, with intervals of about six minutes between services.
For the remaining days of the Tet holiday, the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro will extend its service hours, running from 5 AM to 11 PM, instead of its usual 10 PM closing time.
 |
People gather at Rach Chiec station waiting for the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro. Photo: Quynh Tran
In addition to extended hours, all passengers traveling on the metro on 16/2 and 17/2 (the 29th and first day of Tet) will receive free tickets. Residents can use their chip-enabled citizen identification cards, QR codes from the HCMC Metro HURC application, or obtain paper QR tickets from automatic kiosks within the stations to pass through the fare gates.
Alongside the metro, the city's bus network will also undergo flexible adjustments across different phases. From 7/2 to 13/2, approximately 106 subsidized bus routes will increase or adjust trips to meet the high demand for travel to the airport and interprovincial bus stations.
During the period from 14/2 to 21/2, when students, university students, and workers are on Tet holiday, the city plans to reduce an estimated 75,883 bus trips. However, routes connecting major transport hubs and entertainment areas will be maintained or increased as needed. Specifically, routes to Tan Son Nhat airport and interprovincial bus stations will have increased services to manage passenger flow.
Most bus routes will also offer free fares during the initial days of the new year. Phuong Trang Passenger Transport Joint Stock Company, for example, will provide free tickets on all 77 routes operating in HCMC from 17/2 to 19/2 (the first to third days of Tet). Many other transport companies will apply similar policies during the same period.
Ho Chi Minh City currently operates about 179 bus routes with over 2,300 vehicles. Since late 2024, when the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro became operational, demand for public transport has significantly increased. The city stated it will continue to flexibly adjust metro and bus schedules during holidays to meet public travel needs.
Giang Anh
