The Ho Chi Minh City Management Center of Public Transport has ramped up bus services and adjusted morning schedules to accommodate a surge in student commuters at the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) campus, after hundreds of students were seen crowding bus stops during peak hours in the opening days of the new academic year.
According to observations made on the morning of September 9, at around 6:45 a.m., students began pouring into the Zone B dormitory bus stop in growing numbers. Long queues formed, at times spilling onto the roadway as students waited for buses to arrive.
With demand far outstripping capacity, many buses were already full by their first stop, forcing students at the back of the line to wait for the next departure. Similar scenes unfolded at stops near the University of Science, the University of Technology, and other member institutions of VNU-HCM.
Some students said they had to wait for several buses before they could board, while others found arriving buses already full. To avoid being late for class, some switched to motorbike taxis or private vehicles.
The congestion was most acute between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m., when classes at multiple universities begin simultaneously. The introduction of fare-free bus service in July 2026 has also driven a marked rise in the number of students opting for public transport.
In response to the surging demand, the Ho Chi Minh City Management Center of Public Transport said that, starting September 10, it would coordinate with transport operators to deploy additional buses serving students at Dormitory Zones A and B of VNU-HCM.
Specifically, additional vehicles will be deployed on Route 8, which serves the Zone B bus terminal, to carry students between their dormitories, campuses, and other facilities during peak hours. Route 170 will also operate more frequently in the morning, and reserve buses will be kept on standby for rapid deployment when passenger numbers surge, helping reduce waiting times and overcrowding at bus stops.
Route 170 was launched in 2026 to connect the university's campuses, dormitories and other facilities, helping meet students' commuting needs. The center said it would continue coordinating with VNU-HCM and transport operators to monitor ridership and route performance and make timely service adjustments when necessary.
The reinforced bus fleet is expected to relieve pressure at stations during peak hours, allowing students to commute more conveniently, safely, and smoothly as the new semester gets underway.
