HÀ NỘI — Railway and airline companies in Việt Nam plan to increase the number of trips and vehicles at the end of April as travel demand is expected to rise during the Reunification Day and Labour Day holidays.

The Hà Nội Railway Transport JSC said it would provide additional 29 trains (15,172 seats) for round-trips from Hà Nội to the central cities of Vinh, Đồng Hới, Đà Nẵng and Thanh Hóa.

Accordingly, the Saigon Railway Transport JSC said it would provide 27 extra trains (13,000 seats) for round-trips from HCM City to the southern cities of Phan Thiết, Nha Trang and Quy Nhơn from April 26 to May 1.

The railway companies said customers should book tickets via their official websites dsvn.vn and vetau.com.vn, or at train stations and certified ticket offices and agencies.

Vietjet Air plans to provide customers with 200 more flights (46,000 seats) to domestic tourism cities such as Phú Quốc, Nha Trang, Đà Nẵng and Đà Lạt, and international ones such as Korea, China (Taiwan) and Thailand.

Jetstar Pacific Airlines said it would increase the number of flights by 20 per cent compared to the same period of last year, an equivalent of 20 more flights per day.

The Miền Đông Bus Station in HCM City expects that the number of passengers travelling during the holiday will peak at 52,500 on April 28, an equivalent of 1,750 trips – up 2 per cent from the same period of last year.

A leader of the station proposed to add surcharges of 30-40 per cent of the trip fares, depending on different regions, so that it can pay the additional and contract buses during the holiday, the Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper reported.

Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc requested on Friday that the ministries of public security; transport; education and training; culture, sports and tourism; information and communications, and other concerned agencies ensure transport safety and quality for passengers during the holidays, especially on the major routes that connect Hà Nội and HCM City with other localities.

He requested that transport companies strictly comply with regulations on traffic safety and heighten focus on preventing road and waterway accidents. He added that patrol forces should impose strict fines on serious violations that pose high risks of leading to traffic accidents.

Leaders of the ministries and localities are to report on traffic safety during the four day holiday period – from April 28 to May 1 – to the National Traffic Safety Committee before 3pm on May 1, he said. — VNS