Fares on 118 bus routes and Metro Line No.1 will be waived on March 15 to support voters’ travel, the municipal Public Transport Management Centre announced. —Photo: tphcm.chinhphu.vn

HCM CITY — The Public Transport Management Centre under the municipal Department of Construction has announced that fares on 118 bus routes and Metro Line No.1 will be waived on March 15 to facilitate the travel of voters.

The move is intended to best serve residents travelling to polling stations to elect deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term.

Accordingly, 100 per cent of ticket fares will be exempted on March 15 to encourage greater use of public transport and support voters during the nationwide election day.

For the bus network, free rides will be offered on 109 subsidised routes operating across the city, as well as several non-subsidised routes, including 67, 109, 171, 172, 60-1, 60-3, 60-5, 60-7 and 63-1.

The urban railway system, including Metro Line No.1, will also provide free tickets to all passengers throughout the day.

The fare exemption is also expected to encourage residents to switch from private vehicles to public transport, helping ease traffic congestion and improve accessibility to polling stations.

Alongside the free-ticket policy, the centre has instructed transport operators to prepare sufficient vehicles and standby personnel, while strengthening online monitoring via GPS and camera systems to ensure safe and uninterrupted operations.

Information on routes and operating schedules of bus services and metro trains will be continuously updated on the MultiGo application and electronic boards to enable voters to plan their journeys conveniently. — VNS