The new Miền Đông Bus Station in HCM City’s District 9 will replace the old station in Bình Thạnh District. — VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Linh

HCM CITY — The new Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station in HCM City’s District 9 will open on October 10 after repeated delays due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the city’s Department of Transport.

Buses will be allowed to pick up and drop off passengers at the old Eastern Bus Station in Bình Thạnh District for no more than three months from the opening date of the new station, while completing all necessary procedures.

In the first phase, buses will run from the new facility on long-haul routes to the central province of Quảng Trị and northern provinces.

Construction of the new station, worth more than VNĐ4 trillion ($172.6 million), began in April 2017. It was scheduled to open at various times, on Tết 2018, early 2019, at the end of April and mid-August, but the city delayed its launch because of the resurgence of COVID-19.

The operator, Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO), said the new station, the country’s largest bus station, is nearly three times as big as the old one. It is expected to reduce traffic in the city centre, particularly in areas around the old station.

It covers a 16ha area, including 12.3ha in Long Bình Ward in the city’s District 9, and 3.7ha in the southern province of Bình Dương’s Dĩ An District.

The station is designed to serve more than seven million passengers each year who travel to eastern provinces and localities in the central region and northern Việt Nam.

It includes high-rise parking, repair areas, refueling stations, transit and cargo trade areas, and commercial and service areas.

The station can serve about 21,000 passengers per day, with 1,200 buses departing. This will increase to 52,000 passengers and over 1,800 buses on peak days.

The new station will be connected with HCM City's Metro Line No 1 that will extend from Bến Thành Terminal in District 1 to Suối Tiên Terminal in District 9.

The city has a network of bus stations, including Miền Tây (Western) Bus Station in Bình Tân District, An Sương Bus Station in Hóc Môn District and Ngã Tư Ga Bus Station in District 12. — VNS