Thousands more use City buses for Tet

The number of passengers using HCM City's Mien Dong and Mien Tay coach stations has increased to 60,000 and 55,000 a day, respectively, according to the stations' management boards.
The number of passengers using HCM City's Mien Dong and Mien Tay coachstations has increased to 60,000 and 55,000 a day, respectively,according to the stations' management boards.

The Mien Dong CoachStation on January 18 transported 50,000 passengers to southeastern,central and northern regions, up 30,000 passengers against normal days.

ThuongThanh Hai, deputy director of the Mien Dong Coach Station, said hisstation has contracted to rent hundreds of buses to increase thecapacity of transporting passengers for Tet.

However, trafficcongestion on National Highway 1 at Ca Pass in the central provinces ofPhu Yen and Khanh Hoa has slowed down bus travel through the pass.

If traffic congestion is prolonged, buses cannot return to the station on schedule to continue transporting customers.

The station has about 3,500 buses. Nearly 2,000 depart the station a day.

Atthe Mien Tay Coach Station, the number of passengers travelling to theCuu Long (Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta) provinces and Can Tho City reached35,000 on January 18, up 15,000 passengers compared to normal days,according to the station's deputy director Tran Van Phuong.

TheHCM City Centre for Public Transport Management has assigned the Sai GonPassenger Transport Company, HCM City Bus Cooperative Alliance andother transport cooperatives to prepare 300 buses to transportpassengers from Mien Tay and Mien Dong coach stations to otherdestinations.

Meanwhile, the number of passengers who caught aninter-provincial bus along national highways has also increased inrecent days.

On January 18, the City Department of Transport'sTransport Inspection Team No. 5 found dozens of violations ofinter-provincial buses that have illegally picked up passengers alongNational Highways 13, No. 1A and Asian Highway.

Vo Hoang Son ofthe Transport Inspection Team No. 5 said his team has been assigned toinspect around the clock some petrol stations where manyinter-provincial buses often park to pick up passengers.

However, when there are inspections, inter-provincial buses have switched to pick up passengers at other spots.

In addition, passenger overload on inter-provincial buses have continued, as in previous years.

NguyenXuan Hao, head of the Ministry of Transport's Inspectorate, saidinspection teams in the south has discovered thousands of violationscommitted by inter-provincial buses during the Tet inspection.

DongNai Province, which is the gateway for south-north routes forinter-provincial buses leaving HCM City, found the highest number ofviolations.

The Dong Nai Province Department of Transport Inspectorate handed out fines for 1,053 violations from December 10 to January 10.

TheMinistry of Transport's Inspectorate has asked provincialinspector-ates to continue mobilising all inspection forces to checkoperation of buses during Tet, Hao said. Inspection forces will forceinter-provincial buses that have too many passengers to transfer thesurplus number of passengers to buses at coach stations.

He said drivers of overloaded busses will have their driving licences revoked./.

See more

Vice Chairman of the Dien Bien People’s Committee Pham Duc Toan speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA)

Dien Bien provides training for northern Lao cadres

Additional training sessions will be conducted at local educational institutions to help participants improve professional skills and the capability of using teaching technology, meeting the training needs of cadres from northern Lao provinces.

Bounthong Chitmany, Politburo member, Permanent Member of the Secretariat of the LPRP Central Committee, and Vice President of Laos, grants an interview to the VNA. (Photo: VNA)

VNA strengthens Vietnam-Laos relationship through media cooperation

The VNA bureau, along with other Vietnamese media agencies operating in Laos, plays a key role in disseminating the policies and laws of both countries to the international community. This effort helps to not only attract foreign investment for mutual development but also reinforce the deep-rooted ties between the two countries.

Candidates at a Vietnamese proficiency test. (Photo: VNA)

Language test helps promote Vietnamese in Japan

Contestants included university students majoring in Vietnamese, translators, and professionals working in Vietnamese-related fields, as well as those with a keen interest in Vietnam, its people, and especially its cuisine.