Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s centre for public transport management announced on June 22 the implementation of a programme to provide 100% bus fare support from July 1 through December 31.
Under the scheme, residents will be able to travel free of charge on 134 bus routes.
From July 1, the city will cover the full ticket cost for passengers using 134 operating bus routes, comprising 109 subsidised by the municipal budget and 25 non-subsidised ones.
The policy does not apply to interprovincial bus routes, open-top sightseeing buses for tourists, airport connection bus services, or those passing through other provinces or cities but operating similarly to interprovincial services. Accordingly, Route 172 (Vung Tau bus station – Ba Ria administrative centre – Sai Gon bus station) is not included because part of its route passes through Dong Nai city.
The centre said the fare-support policy follows the principle of “free but controlled, convenient for users and manageable for authorities” and will be implemented in two phases.
Phase 1 (July 1 – September 30) offers completely free travel for bus users, with no passenger authentication or identification required. It focuses on helping residents adapt to bus use while completing database, technology infrastructure and the e-ticketing system.
Phase 2 (October 1 – December 31) will see free fares linked to passenger registration, authentication or identification through methods such as ID cards, the VNeID app, bank cards, e-wallets and the MultiGo application. Specific guidance will be provided for elderly people, those with disabilities, children, students, visitors and other special groups.
The city also plans to continue upgrading bus stops and shelters during 2026–2027.
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City operates 2,432 buses, including 1,649 electric and green-energy buses, accounting for 67.8% of the fleet.
By the end of 2026, the southern metropolis expects to convert 624 additional buses to electric operation, bringing the share of electric and green-energy vehicles on intra-city routes to 100% by early 2027.
During 2027–2028, interprovincial bus routes using compressed natural gas (CNG) and other fuels are also planned for conversion to electric vehicles, with the goal that all buses operating in the city will be electric by early 2029./.
VNA
