Trains operate on the Nhổn-Cầu Giấy metro line. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội will waive fares on its entire subsidised public transit network during two upcoming holiday periods, city officials announced Friday, covering 128 bus routes and both existing metro lines for a combined seven days.

The fare-free programme applies to the Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line and the elevated segment of the Nhổn-Cầu Giấy Line, along with all subsidised bus routes across the capital. 

The exemption runs in two stretches: three days from Saturday, April 25, through Monday, April 27, for the Hùng Kings Commemoration Day holiday, and four days from Thursday, April 30, through Sunday, May 3, covering Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers' Day (May 1) holiday.

Bus riders will receive complimentary paper tickets upon boarding, or electronic tickets via point-of-sale machines on routes currently piloting e-ticketing. Metro passengers can pick up zero-đồng tickets at station counters or through the Hanoi Metro app.

City officials said the goal is to ease holiday traffic congestion and encourage greater use of public transportation.

"This is a meaningful gesture that reflects the city leadership's commitment to the well-being of Hà Nội citizens," said Thái Hồ Phượng, director of the Hanoi Transportation Management and Operations Centre.

He added that the programme also supports the city's broader push to project a modern, environmentally friendly image for the capital. — VNS