Bus pick up passengers at the Tân Sơn Nhất Airport in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Đạt

HCM CITY — The HCM City Management Center of Public Transport has called for adding two more bus routes to Tân Sơn Nhất airport to ease the current congestion.

The first, a circular 8.9 kilometre route, will start at the bus station near Gia Định Park, Gò Vấp District, pass through Tân Sơn Nhất Airport, Hoàng Văn Thụ Park and return to the bus station

The second, 12.6 kilometre will be between the Tân Phú District's bus station and the airport 

The two routes will not be subsidised by the city, and buses can carry 17-40 passengers on 91 trips between 05:00 and 20:00 daily.

There are now four routes connecting the airport from Trung Sơn residential area in District 8, Saigon Bus Station in District 1, Ngã Tư Ga Bus Station in District 12 and Vũng Tàu Bus Station in Vũng Tàu City.

However, they use the same pick-up and drop-off lanes at the airport as personal cars and so are often blocked, causing congestion at the entry point. 

Besides, like all vehicles, buses can only stop for three minutes, meaning people easily miss them and have to wait for 10-15 minutes for the next bus.

Lê Trung Tính, chairman of the city Passenger Transport Association, said the airport should amend its regulation to allow buses to stop longer.

He also called for changing bus schedules to match flights, even at night, to make it convenient for flight passengers.

Tân Sơn Nhất received more than 100,000 passengers a day. — VNS