Additional trains and buses will be operated during the upcoming holidays on Independence Day, September 2. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Many transport companies plan to increase vehicles, trips and routes to meet the demand of passengers during the Independence Day holiday (September 1 to September 4).

According to Lê Anh Tuấn, Deputy Director in charge of Saigon Railway Transport, on the occasion of the upcoming holiday, the Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Company will run more trains to meet the needs of passengers.

In particular, train routes from HCM City to Quy Nhơn, Nha Trang and Phan Thiết will add more trains due to the large number of visitors planning to travel to these destinations.

In addition, the company still maintains a policy of reducing two-way ticket prices from 5 per cent to 7 per cent and providing discounts for social policy beneficiaries, Tuấn said.

Meanwhile, Western Bus Station predicts that the volume of vehicles and passengers on the 2022 holiday will increase significantly compared to the same period in 2021.

It is expected that during the holiday, there will be 6,320 buses leaving the station with 173,100 passengers.

The peak will be on September 1, when there will be 40,000 passengers travelling through the station and over 1,500 vehicles will depart the station.

Meanwhile at Eastern Bus Station, it is expected that the number of visitors will mainly increase in the afternoon and evening of September 1 and September 2, mostly for routes to Vũng Tàu, Đà Lạt, Phan Thiết and Nha Trang.

It is forecast that on September 2, the number of buses departing from Eastern Bus Station will be about 5,020 vehicles with 105,380 passengers. 

Surge in Hà Nội bus passengers predicted during holidays

The number of passengers using bus services in Hà Nội during the upcoming National Day holidays is forecast to increase sharply, with sudden surges in passenger flow predicted during peak hours.

In order to meet the transportation needs of the people during the holidays, the Hanoi Bus Station Joint Stock Company has developed plans to better organize passenger transport at bus terminals.

According to the company’s director, Phạm Mạnh Hùng, demand for people to travel and visit relatives is expected to increase considerably during the holidays, which will give people a four-day weekend from September 1 to 4.

Moreover, the population’s travel demand has recovered after the COVID-19 epidemic, so the number of passengers at bus stations is expected to increase significantly on all routes.

At Giáp Bát bus station, the average number of passengers during the holidays is forecast to increase by about 250 per cent to 11,000 passengers per day. The expected number of vehicles in service during the holidays is 900 vehicles per day, an increase of about 35 per cent compared to weekdays. 

The same pattern is expected at other stations such as Mỹ Đình and Gia Lâm stations. 

Assessing the company’s service capacity, Hùng said that on weekdays, vehicle capacity is rarely exploited to its full potential, with each bus only transporting 6-8 passengers. Therefore, the surge in passengers should not overwhelm the supplementary vehicles.

In order to ensure convenience amid a sudden increase in passenger load, the company has proposed to the Hanoi Department of Transport the issuance of 200 vehicle badges to speed up passenger clearance.

In addition, the company has requested bus stations strengthen inspection and control measures, not let bus operators illegally increase fares, not let passengers board without tickets, or have co-drivers compete for and pressure customers. Special attention has been paid in order to prevent and ban the departure of vehicles transporting explosives, vehicles exceeding regulated capacity, and vehicles with co-drivers under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or lacking appropriate qualifications and paperwork.

Bus stations require transport businesses and passengers to strictly comply with regulations regarding COVID-19 prevention and control, and closely coordinate with the police force and the Transport Inspectorate to deal with violations, such as buses allowing boarding outside of stations and blocking roadways, especially amidst the increased traffic during the holidays. — VNS