HCM City - Côn Đảo express boat. — VNA/VNS Photo Tiến Lực

HCM CITY — The HCM City - Côn Đảo express boat service will be temporarily suspended from July 29 due to inefficient operation, just over two months since launch.

The service was launched in mid-May, 2024, connecting the southern metropolis with Con Dao island off Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province.

However, several factors have hindered passengers from choosing the service such as the long distance, over 20km, between the city's centre and the Sài Gòn-Hiệp Phước port in the outlying district of Nhà Bè, where the boat departs; passengers having to pay fees to enter the port; and weather conditions, among others, the company said.

The operator offered a free shuttle bus service from the September 23 Park in HCM City’s District 1 to the port for passengers booking in advance. However, some problems occurred and it decided to suspend the service from early June but later resumed the operation.

The high-speed boat, named Thăng Long, seats 1,017 passengers. Ticket prices ranged between VNĐ615,000-1.1 million (US$26-43) per trip.

There were three trips departing each port weekly. The boat departed from Sài Gòn - Hiệp Phước Port for Côn Đảo at 7:00am, and from Bến Đầm Wharf of Côn Đảo for HCM City at 1:00pm. — VNS