Keyword: "free bus fares"

According to Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Centre Le Hoan, the bus network operated nearly 478,000 trips in July, serving more than 8.48 million passengers. Weekly growth accelerated throughout the month, rising from 33% in the first week to 45% in the fourth week.

A local official described the increase in bus ridership as an encouraging sign for the city's public transport system, but stressed that a comprehensive solution to traffic congestion will require a high-capacity public transport network, with the metro system playing a central role.