The new Mien Dong Bus Station sees a small number of passengers. (Photo: SGGP)
On October 21, it was recorded at the ticket counters of the bus operators in the new Mien Dong Bus Station that only a few passengers bought tickets. A ticket salesman at a passenger transport company here said that most passengers order tickets online or by phone in advance for transit vehicles to pick them up in the inner city, so not many people go to the bus station to buy tickets.
However, according to SGGP’s reporter’s observations, the number of passengers boarding coaches was not high. Buses continuously dropped passengers at the bus station, but there were not many of them.
Previously, on October 11, the new Mien Dong Bus Station received 79 passenger bus routes to 15 provinces operating at the old one, including Thua Thien - Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Lam Dong, Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Can Tho, and Ca Mau.
This is the second reception and thus has relocated most inter-provincial passenger transport routes from the old bus station to the new one, except for a few routes passing through National Highway No.13 - Ho Chi Minh Road.
According to the Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (Samco), the investor of the new Mien Dong Bus Station, the number of vehicles on 79 relocated bus routes is around 1,600. However, a representative of the new Mien Dong Bus Station said that currently, on average, there are only 206 bus trips per day at the new Mien Dong Bus Station with about 2,600 passengers. Meanwhile, according to the plan, with 1,600 vehicles operating, there will be more than 500 bus trips per day. Thus, nearly 300 bus trips have disappeared mysteriously. Vehicles that no longer operate in the bus station mainly run from Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Thuan, and Binh Dinh provinces.
According to a transport enterprise in Binh Thuan Province, since the decision to move to the new Mien Dong Bus Station, the number of passengers has decreased significantly. The unit must add more transit vehicles and rent more offices in the city center to pick up passengers and transfer them to the new bus station. The company has surveyed many passengers, and they think it takes a lot of time to travel to the new Mien Dong Bus Station. In addition, there are fewer bus routes to the new Mien Dong Bus Station, so they are reluctant to use the services of the new Mien Dong Bus Station-based passenger transport companies. Instead, many passengers choose other means of transport or unlicensed coaches operating in the city center.
It is reported that some transport enterprises have switched to operate at Nga Tu Ga, An Suong, and Mien Tay bus stations. However, according to Mr. Tran Hieu, Director of An Suong Bus Station, on average, there are about 300 bus trips per day, down 30 percent compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, An Suong Bus Station has not received any passenger transport company moving from the new Mien Dong Bus Station yet.
As for the Mien Tay Bus Station, a representative of this unit said that a few transport enterprises operating in the old Mien Dong Bus Station want to move to Mien Tay Bus Station. However, no transport enterprises have officially operated there because they are waiting for a license change.
On the same day, the Department of Transport of HCMC said it was asking the new Mien Dong Bus Station to report the number of active vehicles and which route reduces vehicles and passengers. Meanwhile, a representative of the Inspectorate of the Department of Transport announced that they were inspecting some points where unlicensed coaches were still operating in Binh Thanh District and Thu Duc City.
However, according to SGGP’s reporter’s observations, the number of passengers boarding coaches was not high. Buses continuously dropped passengers at the bus station, but there were not many of them.
Previously, on October 11, the new Mien Dong Bus Station received 79 passenger bus routes to 15 provinces operating at the old one, including Thua Thien - Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Lam Dong, Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Can Tho, and Ca Mau.
This is the second reception and thus has relocated most inter-provincial passenger transport routes from the old bus station to the new one, except for a few routes passing through National Highway No.13 - Ho Chi Minh Road.
According to the Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (Samco), the investor of the new Mien Dong Bus Station, the number of vehicles on 79 relocated bus routes is around 1,600. However, a representative of the new Mien Dong Bus Station said that currently, on average, there are only 206 bus trips per day at the new Mien Dong Bus Station with about 2,600 passengers. Meanwhile, according to the plan, with 1,600 vehicles operating, there will be more than 500 bus trips per day. Thus, nearly 300 bus trips have disappeared mysteriously. Vehicles that no longer operate in the bus station mainly run from Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Thuan, and Binh Dinh provinces.
According to a transport enterprise in Binh Thuan Province, since the decision to move to the new Mien Dong Bus Station, the number of passengers has decreased significantly. The unit must add more transit vehicles and rent more offices in the city center to pick up passengers and transfer them to the new bus station. The company has surveyed many passengers, and they think it takes a lot of time to travel to the new Mien Dong Bus Station. In addition, there are fewer bus routes to the new Mien Dong Bus Station, so they are reluctant to use the services of the new Mien Dong Bus Station-based passenger transport companies. Instead, many passengers choose other means of transport or unlicensed coaches operating in the city center.
It is reported that some transport enterprises have switched to operate at Nga Tu Ga, An Suong, and Mien Tay bus stations. However, according to Mr. Tran Hieu, Director of An Suong Bus Station, on average, there are about 300 bus trips per day, down 30 percent compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, An Suong Bus Station has not received any passenger transport company moving from the new Mien Dong Bus Station yet.
As for the Mien Tay Bus Station, a representative of this unit said that a few transport enterprises operating in the old Mien Dong Bus Station want to move to Mien Tay Bus Station. However, no transport enterprises have officially operated there because they are waiting for a license change.
On the same day, the Department of Transport of HCMC said it was asking the new Mien Dong Bus Station to report the number of active vehicles and which route reduces vehicles and passengers. Meanwhile, a representative of the Inspectorate of the Department of Transport announced that they were inspecting some points where unlicensed coaches were still operating in Binh Thanh District and Thu Duc City.
