Transport choices increased for national holiday

Hundreds of extra buses and trains will be used during the National Day holiday next week.
Hundreds of extra buses and trains will be used during the National Day holiday next week.

State employees and workers are entitled to have a four-day break lasting from Saturday, August 30, to Tuesday, September 2.

Deputy Director of Hanoi's My Dinh Coach Station, Nguyen Manh Tuan told Kinh te Do thi (Economic and Urban Affairs) newspaper that the station planned to have 100 coaches to meet increased demand.

Normally, the station serves about 20,000-30,000 passengers a day but this would jump to about 30,000-35,000 people during the holidays.

"The number of passengers is predicted to increase in key routes including those to Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, PhuTho, QuangNinh and ThanhHoa," he said.

The overloading would not be as serious as it was during holidays for Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) because it was the end of summer and students had gone back to school, Tuan said.

Director of Giap Bat Coach Station, Nguyen Tat Thanh, said it would add 120-150 coaches each day during the holidays.

In Ho Chi Minh City, Mien Dong Coach Station expects to receive 32,000 passengers at peak times - or 70 percent more than usual.

Bus fares there are expected to increase about 30 percent from August 29 to 31, according to the station directorate board.

Ho Chi Minh City's Mien Tay Coach Station also predicts a 30-percent increase in bus fares on key routes from HCM City to neighbouring Mekong Delta provinces.

Deputy Head of Sai Gon Railway Station, Thai Van Truyen, said an extra 10 trains would run from HCM City to NhaTrang, a popular coastal route, from August 28 to September 2.

Head of Hanoi Railway Station, PhungThi Ly Ha, said more trains would be added to routes including Hanoi to central Dong Hoi city, Hanoi to central Vinh city, and Hanoi to northern Lao Cai province.

She said that train fares would not be increased and that tickets to many provinces were still available.-VNA

See more