Bui Hoa An, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, has signed a proposal to the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee to register the drafting of a resolution by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council on support policies for public bus users. The proposal follows a simplified legislative procedure.
The move implements a directive issued by Tran Luu Quang, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, at the 5th Conference of the City Party Committee for the 2025–2030 term, held on April 1.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, after the merger, the city's bus network currently has 180 routes, including 109 subsidized routes and 71 non-subsidized routes, with the participation of 42 transport units. The total number of vehicles in operation is 2,432.
In 2026, the budget allocated to support the operation of the 109 bus routes is VND1,334 billion. To date, bidding has been implemented for 102 out of 109 routes receiving operational funding.
The city has also developed a multi-method cashless payment platform connecting buses, metro, river buses, and public bicycles via bank cards, international cards, and e-wallets. The MultiGo application and MultiPass card make it easy for people to look up, pay for, and use services. It is expected that by the second quarter of 2026, the electronic ticketing system will be fully implemented across the entire bus network.
Notably, the fare-free programs implemented recently have shown significant effectiveness. Statistics show that passenger numbers during the free period were 34 percent higher than after the program ended. Regarding 100 percent fare waivers on bus routes during holidays, Tet holiday ( the Lunar New Year), and election days, passenger numbers increased by 20 percent-28 percent compared to the same period.
In light of fluctuating fuel prices, the city is contemplating the introduction of short-term measures aimed at encouraging the use of public transportation, thereby establishing a basis for sustainable alterations in commuting behaviors.
In response to this scenario, the Department of Construction has presented to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee for review, and subsequently to the municipal People's Council for endorsement, a streamlined process for formulating a Resolution to assist users of public bus transportation in the city.
The purpose of the Resolution is to support users of public bus transportation in Ho Chi Minh City, reducing some of the travel costs for people amidst rising fuel prices; contributing to attracting people to change their habits of using public transportation, limiting the use of private motorized vehicles in traffic, reducing traffic accidents, and reducing environmental pollution.
The proposal would also establish a legal basis for waiving bus fares, while ensuring budgetary support for the operation of the city’s public bus system.
The policy would apply to 135 bus routes, including 109 subsidized and 26 non-subsidized services. Beneficiaries would include all bus passengers in the city, as well as transport enterprises and cooperatives providing public bus services.
The total estimated cost is about VND930 billion, to be funded from the city budget for the remaining eight months of 2026. Of this, roughly VND627 billion (US$23.8 million) would be allocated to subsidized routes and VND303 billion to non-subsidized routes. The estimate is based on current fuel prices.
