About 1 million people are expected to depart Ho Chi Minh City to other parts of the country to reunite with their families for Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday which is just days away.

Thousands queued up at the Tan Son Nhat Airport to board domestic flights over the weekend.

Airport Director Dang Tuan Tu said there were 22,000 to 23,000 people boarding flights per day over the last several days, nearly double the normal traffic.

International terminals were welcoming up to 14,000 arrivals per day compared to the normal 11,000, he added.

Tu also said that the airport is about to complete an upgrade and expansion project this year that is designed to avoid possible overloading in the coming years.

At the Mien Dong (Eastern) and Mien Tay (Western) bus terminals, people returning to central and northern provinces after years of working away from home are expected to boost crowds dramatically.

The number of passengers at Mien Tay on January 25 stood at 32,000 and may climb to 53,000 in the next few days, one station official said.

The municipal Department of Transport has said it is closely collaborating with counterparts in Dong Nai and Tien Giang provinces in planting more road signs and increasing task forces that will guide vehicles at congestion-prone intersections.

On January 25, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called on Hanoi authorities and bus station officials to mobilise all resources to ensure people are able to return home on time for Tet.

Visiting the Nuoc Ngam and Giap Bat bus terminals in Hanoi, he offered Tet greetings to passengers and officials manning road and rail traffic administrations.

The Deputy PM asked police officers to monitor and coordinate traffic at hot spots and strictly punish violators.

He also instructed bus station officials to make sure that prices do not go up dramatically and to punish bus operators who overload their vehicles.

They should be especially strict with those who are operating services illegally, he said.-VNA