Ho Chi Minh City’s new Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Station is expected to be put into operation at the end of April, following repeated delays that have plagued the construction since its initiation three years ago.

The inauguration of the bus terminal is scheduled to take place on an undecided date between April 19 and 26, the Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO), which is the project's developer, said in a report recently submitted to the municipal People’s Committee.

Initially, the terminal will facilitate only long-haul passenger buses and coaches that connect Ho Chi Minh City with domestic destinations at least 1,000 kilometers away, from the north-central province of Quang Tri to further north.

When the facility enters its second phase of operation, it will be able to house all buses running to destinations north of Ho Chi Minh City, including the central and Central Highlands regions.

At a cost of VND4 trillion (US$176.4 million), the completed station will cover an area of 16 hectares, of which 12.3 hectares will be in outlying District 9 in Ho Chi Minh City and the rest in neighboring Binh Duong Province.

The new facility, capable of handling seven million passengers yearly, is aimed at eradicating regular congestion at the existing Eastern Bus Station in Binh Thanh District as well as providing better services for commuters.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Eastern Bus Station was held in April 2017 for what was expected to be an approximately eight-month project.

The project has been delayed multiple times since then due to a number of factors including residents’ refusal to be relocated from the construction site.

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