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Nguyen Suu and his family are waiting for the coach to Dong Nai Province. |
Yesterday morning, hundreds of residents in the districts of Can Loc, Thach Ha, and Ha Tinh City (Ha Tinh Province) poured to National Highway No.1 in hope of catching a coach to the Central Highlands and Southern provinces for their work. The frequency of coaches from North to South has increased significantly these days to satisfy these needs.
35-year-old Nguyen Suu from Hong Loc Commune of Loc Ha District shared that he and his wife are workers of a factory in Bien Hoa City of Dong Nai Province. After the Tet holiday, the couple and two children are now on their way back to their workplace. However, they waited for nearly 3 hours without any success in catching a coach. The one they booked had already passed their rendezvous location, and if it did not come back, they would have to return home to wait for another day.
Other workers opted to use their own motorcycle for this journey. They were guided and handed water, fast food by the traffic police of Thua Thien – Hue Province.
On the same day, in the coach station South of Hue City, the number of passengers to Ho Chi Minh City and Southern provinces rose by 15-20 percent compared to the Lunar January 4-5.
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Many residents of Nghen Town in Can Loc District of Ha Tinh Province are waiting for coaches to the Southern provinces. (Photo: SGGP) |
Meanwhile, airplane ticket agencies reported a shortage of tickets for flights between Hanoi and Southern provinces and HCMC from January 28-31 (the Lunar January 7-10), along with more expensive fare due to high demands.
Only business-class tickets of the Hanoi – HCMC and Hanoi – Can Tho City flights are left available, at the one-way price of VND10 million (US$426). Beginning from February 1, regular tickets for these routes will be available again at the price of VND3-4 million ($128-170).
Similarly, only business-class tickets of the Hanoi – Nha Trang City and Hanoi – Da Lat City for January 27-28 are unoccupied, at the one-way prices of VND4-7 million ($170-298). From January 31 on, regular tickets can be bought at VND1.34 million ($57). From February 6 (the Lunar January 16), the ticket supply is surplus like usual.
Tan Son Nhat International Airport yesterday reported that the number of passengers entering this airport came to nearly 150,000 on 916 flights, a rise of around 5,000 people compared to two days ago. Among them are 457 flights from other provinces to HCMC, accommodating about 91,000 travellers. It is forecast that until January 29, the quantity of flights to and fro the country will continue to increase.
Hanoi Train Station informed that all one-way tickets of all classes from Hanoi to Southern provinces between January 28-29 had been sold out. Only from February 1 on, passengers can buy tickets to the South more easily.
