The new Miền Đông Bus Station, the largest in the country, has officially opened in HCM City’s District 9 after nearly four years of construction. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Phúc

HCM CITY — The new Miền Đông (Eastern) Bus Station, the country’s biggest bus station, was officially put in use in HCM City’s District 9 on Saturday after nearly four years of construction.

The station launch had been delayed many times due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The station at 501 Hoàng Hữu Nam Street in District 9 covers 12.3 ha in District 9 and 3.7ha in Dĩ An Town in the southern province of Bình Dương.

The Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO), the station operator, said the new station is nearly three times as big as the old one in Bình Thạnh District. 

It can serve about 21,000 passengers per day with 1,200 buses, and during peak times, 52,000 passengers and over 1,800 buses.

More than seven million passengers each year are expected to travel on 71 long-haul routes from the city to eastern provinces and localities in the central region and northern Việt Nam.

Construction of the new facility began in 2017, with a total cost of more than VNĐ4 trillion (US$172.6 million).

The new station has four floors and two underground basement floors, with waiting areas, pickup and drop-off areas, transit and cargo trade areas, logistics services, parking areas and a wastewater treatment station.

A waiting area at the new Miền Đông Bus Station in HCM City. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Phúc

It is a multi-functional complex with a commercial centre, entertainment area, restaurants and other service areas.

Advanced technology is used for station management and operations.

In the first phase of operation, buses on 24 long-haul routes will run from the new facility to the central province of Quảng Trị and northern provinces.

Buses will be allowed to pick up and drop off passengers at the old station for no more than three months from the opening date of the new station while all necessary procedures are being completed.

Trần Quốc Toản, general director of SAMCO, said the location of the new station is suited to urban development associated with the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) model.

“It will be an important traffic hub, contributing to the development of the proposed smart city, Thủ Đức City, in HCM City's eastern area,” he said.

The station will serve as a transit hub for passengers going to Long Thành International Airport in Đồng Nai Province and as an international multimodal transport station to some countries in Southeast Asia.

It is connected to inner-city public bus routes and inter-provincial bus routes between HCM City and Đồng Nai Province.

It will also be connected to the city’s Metro Line No 1, which will extend from Bến Thành Terminal in District 1 to Suối Tiên Terminal in District 9.

It is expected to better serve passenger demand and contribute to HCM City's transport development.

The city has several main 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