Buses operating at new Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station in HCM City’s Thủ Đức City. — Photo www.sggp.org.vn

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Transport plans to open three more routes with final destinations at the new Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station in Thủ Đức City.

The new routes will meet the travel needs of people to and from the new bus station.

They include two e-bus lines traveling from Vinhomes Grand Park and Việt Nam National University-HCM City in Thủ Đức City, and one route from the old Miền Đông Bus Station in Bình Thạnh District connecting to the new Eastern Bus Station.

The department now oversees nine public bus routes connecting to the new bus station.

The new bus station operates 386 buses serving 2,603 trips a day, according to a recent report of the department.

There are 57 fixed inter-provincial routes from 20 provinces and cities nationwide operating at the new station, with 1,218 buses. However, only 402 buses are operating.

The number of customers traveling to the new station has not been as expected. The fixed passenger transport routes and some transport units reduced their frequency or halted operations due to the moderate number of passengers.

The reasons for the reduction of passengers were the travel habits of the customer along with ineffective communication and information about the new routes.

In addition, the transit operation does not meet all of the demands of customers and the transport infrastructure surrounding the new station has not been completed and is inconvenient for buses connecting with the HCM City – Long Thành – Dầu Giây Expressway.

The department has proposed that the Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO), the new bus station's operator, offer discounts on service fees at the new station and support parking for taxis and contracted vehicles.

The new bus station, the country’s largest, was officially put into operation in October 2020 after nearly four years of construction.

Covering 12.3 ha in Thủ Đức and 3.7ha in Bình Dương Province, it is nearly three times as big as the old one in Bình Thạnh District.

It can serve about 21,000 passengers per day with 1,200 buses, and during peak times, 52,000 passengers and over 1,800 buses. — VNS