Buses running on route No.109 between Sài Gòn Bus Station in District 1 and Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in Tân Bình District in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Linh

HCM CITY — Hải Vân International Transportation Joint Venture Company has proposed to open 17 new bus routes connecting Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City with urban areas and bus stations.

The company’s proposal has been sent to the city’s Department of Transport after the city’s Management Centre of Public Transport called for the addition of more bus routes to Tân Sơn Nhất airport to meet travel needs and ease the current congestion.

About eight km from the city centre, the airport in Tân Bình District is the city’s major transport hub. It serves about 120,000 passengers every day, so the number of vehicles picking up passengers at the airport is very high.

Congestion and confusion often occurs in the pickup and drop-off area in front of the airport’s domestic terminal.

There are only three bus routes running to the airport, including route No.109 connecting to Sài Gòn Bus Station in District 1, route No.152 going to Bình Chánh District, and route No.72-1 leading to the southern province of Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu.

Four out of the company’s 17 proposed routes will connect the airport and the new Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station in Thủ Đức City.

Two routes will go to Miền Tây (Western) Bus Station in Bình Tân District. Two others will connect to Phú Mỹ Hưng urban area in District 7 and Trung Sơn Residential Area in Bình Chánh District.

The remaining nine routes, in turn, will connect the airport to Thảo Điền and An Phú wards, and Kim Cương (Diamond) Island in Thủ Đức City; Hàm Nghi Transshipment Station in District 1; Dương Hồng - Mizuki Residential Area and Vinhomes Central Park Urban Area in Bình Chánh District; Hóc Môn Market in Hóc Môn District; Phú Định Resettlement Area in District 8; and Phú Long Bridge in District 12.

Aiming to improve service quality and free up space for luggage, vehicles operating on the routes will have 10-30 seats, down from 16-45 seats.

Pickup and drop off stops along the routes will be existing bus stops. The end points will be at urban areas, residential areas, hotels and tourist attractions to help people to easily access the cars.

The company, based in northern Hải Dương Province, is currently providing passenger transport services between the airport and Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu Province.

The department has asked the company to add relevant information to complete the plan of the proposed routes. — VNS