According to the HCM City Department of Transport, the Ben Thanh-Mien Tay Station (number 2), Mien Tay Station-Cu Xa Nhieu Loc (number 144) and Ben Thanh-Dam Sen (number 11) routes will stop operations from July 1.

 Buses in HCM City

When the three routes are closed, the city would have 129 bus routes, including 91 subsidised, meeting around 9% of the city’s total travel demand.

Since late 2018, many bus routes in HCM City have ceased because of the low passenger number, causing big losses.

HCM City has approved VND1.3 trillion (USD56.52 million) in bus subsidies this year.

The rapid growth of app-based ride-hailing services like Grab and GoViet has created tough competition for public transport.

People prefer cars, especially for short trips, because of the convenience they offer. In the 2014-2018 period, the city saw an on-year decline of bus passengers.

Public buses in HCM City only carried 255 million passengers last year, a drop of 12.1% from 2018. Laodong/Dtinews