January 16, 2023
HÀ NỘI — Bus, train and air tickets are selling out fast after many businesses allowed their employees to early leave to return to their hometowns to celebrate Tết (Lunar New Year) holidays.
A number of firms saw a drop in end-of-year orders so have allowed employees to return to their home towns early.
Hồ Viết Minh was born in the central province of Quảng Trị but working in Bình Dương Province. He said he bought bus tickets in November for his whole family to return to his hometown to celebrate Tết.
His company allowed him to leave early so he booked his tickets early, he said.
According to a representative of Chín Nghĩa Bus Company, passengers bought tickets for Tết very early this year. The number of passengers is also higher than in previous years.
By the end of November 2022, thousands of buses from HCM City to the central region were fully booked, Nhân dân (People) online newspaper reported.
Passengers mainly travelled after the 20th day of the last month of the lunar calendar or after the Kitchen Gods’ Day – the 23th day of the last month of the lunar calendar, he said.
It costs about VNĐ700,000-1.2 million (US$30-51) per ticket over Tết which is between 40-60 per cent higher than on normal days, he added.
A representative of Phương Trang Bus Company, also said since early November 2022, about 10,000 bus round-trip tickets from HCM City to central provinces were booked.
He said the number of passengers travelling during this Tết is forecast to increase by more than 60 per cent compared to the last year.
Deputy director of Miền Đông Bus Station in HCM City, Tạ Chương Chín, said that the number of passengers travelling this year at the station is predicted to increase by about 50 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Phạm Mạnh Hùng, director of Hà Nội Bus Station Joint Stock Company, said that at Mỹ Ðình Bus Station, the number of passengers is predicted to increase by about 200 per cent compared to weekdays, reaching 12,000 passengers daily.
Even on some peak days, the number of passengers might increase about 300 per cent compared to normal days, he said.
The passengers mainly travel on routes from Hà Nội to the northern mountainous provinces of Sơn La, Lào Cai, Ðiện Biên, Cao Bằng, Lai Châu, he said.
The total number of buses operating at the three bus stations of Mỹ Ðình, Gia Lâm, Giáp Bát is estimated to be nearly 2,500 vehicles daily.
Demand for train tickets is also increasing.
Train tickets for routes from HCM City to provinces of Nha Trang, Quảng Ngãi, Thanh Hóa, Vinh are almost sold out with only a few seats left.
Ðặng Sỹ Mạnh, general director of the Việt Nam Railways Corporation, said that the railway sector has planned to supply 356 trips, equivalent to more than 176,000 train seats during Tết, an increase of 130 trips and 67,000 seats compared to the last Tết.
However, only after a short period of selling tickets, there are only about 40,000 tickets left so far, he said.
For flights, although airlines have continuously increased their flights on most of the routes from HCM City to the northern and central provinces, the number of tickets is also selling out quickly.
Under the assessment of the Civil Aviation Administration of Việt Nam, the booking rate on domestic routes during Tết is rapidly increasing.
Preparedness
Residents flock to bus stations in Hồ Chí Minh City to return home before the Lunar New Year. Photo tuoitrethudo.com.vn
To better serve the passengers travelling, deputy director of Miền Đông Bus Station said the station will increase the number of vehicles, ensuring that there is no shortage of vehicles for people to return home.
In Hà Nội, deputy director of the Transport Department Ðào Việt Long said the city has issued a plan and told relevant units to arrange more vehicles to serve the increasing travelling demand.
The managerial agencies also have required the bus operators to publish the bus fare on the vehicles in accordance with regulations, not arbitrarily increase the fares or surcharge without approval from the competent authority, he said.
Bus stations have to create favourable conditions so that passengers do not have to wait in long queues, he said.
Hùng, director of Hà Nội Bus Station Joint Stock Company, said the company has asked transport units to register the bus fares with the company in advance if the fares are higher than on normal days. The transport units are told to not charge more than the registered prices, he said.
In the meantime, airlines plan to operate about 950-990 flights daily on domestic routes and the total number of seats increases by nearly 1.7 million seats compared to the rest of the year.
Vietnam Airlines Group, including Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines and Vietnam Air Services Company, will provide a total of 15,767 flights, an increase of more than 4,000 flights compared to normal days.
Vietjet Air will also increase the number of flights by 30 per cent, equal to more than 12,000 flights and more than 2.6 million seats.
Tô Tử Hà, director of Nội Bài International Airport, said that the airport will host about 580 flights and 104,000 passengers daily during peak days.
The airport has actively strengthened security and regulated traffic flows at the car park to better serve passengers from January 16 to the end of January 28, he said.
In a related move, the Ministry of Transport has issued a dispatch requesting that the Department for Roads of Việt Nam and Transport Departments in localities review the system of road signs at traffic intersections; direct toll stations to actively open stations if there is prolonged congestion, especially at the main axes to Hà Nội and HCM City.
The ministry also ordered the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam to supervise the implementation of regulations on aviation security and safety at airports.
Transport firms are told to make optimal plans to minimise flight delays and cancellations during the holidays, the ministry said.— VNS