HCMC SEES 14 MILLION PASSENGER TRIPS DURING LUNAR NEW YEAR

Passengers wait to board interprovincial buses at a bus station - PHOTO: ARCHIVES

HCMC – HCMC handled more than 14 million passenger trips during the nine-day Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday from February 14 to 22, according to the city’s Department of Construction.

Le Hai Phong, deputy head of the Road Transport Management Division under the Department of Construction, told a press briefing on February 26 that transport services met strong travel demand while traffic accidents declined and no serious incidents or prolonged congestion were reported.

Interprovincial bus stations handled 793,554 passengers during the holiday period, up 20% from a year earlier and 56% higher than on normal days. More than 40,900 bus trips were operated, increasing 8% year-on-year and 30% compared with regular levels.

Passenger volume exceeded 661,300 in the former HCMC area, while the former Ba Ria–Vung Tau recorded over 78,500 and Binh Duong handled more than 53,600. Passenger growth outpaced the increase in bus trips, indicating higher seat occupancy rates.

Traffic congestion occurred briefly on February 13 near Tan Son Nhat International Airport, interprovincial bus stations, and major gateways. Traffic remained stable during the holiday, with slower movement reported in central areas, airport access routes, Cat Lai Port, expressways, and entry points.

Vehicle flows increased again from February 21 as people returned to the city, especially at gateways and ferry terminals, but no serious congestion was reported.

Air transport handled more than 1.4 million passengers on nearly 9,000 flights. Tan Son Nhat International Airport accounted for nearly 1.4 million passengers and over 8,700 flights.

The department attributed reduced congestion pressure to the operation of Terminal 3, biometric authentication, online check-in, and additional late-night and early-morning flights.

Ground transport services connecting the airport carried nearly 23,000 passengers on 2,220 trips, higher than the same period last year but lower than normal days due to flight schedules.

Source: The Saigon Times