Hanoi Metro, the operator of Hanoi’s Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, has recorded an increase in passengers as traffic jams and gas-purchasing woes in the Vietnamese capital city continue to worsen.

Every seat on the metro during the rush hour on Wednesday morning was occupied, with many passengers having to stand, as observed by a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporter.

Among the passengers was Pham Thi Phuong, a resident of the Van Quan urban area in Ha Dong District who works at an office on Hang Bac Street in Hoan Kiem District.

Phuong's 12-kilometer commute to work includes getting on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro at Van Quan Station then getting off at Cat Linh Station before taking a bus to her office.

Phuong said that not needing to queue to buy gasoline was the main reason she opted to use the metro, aside from its convenience, cleanliness, and cheap fares.

“Queuing for gasoline is very tiring, so I choose the metro as my daily means of commuting to work,” she said. 

“Taking the metro is fast and organized, and it ensures no traffic jams.”

Phuong and many other Hanoi residents chose to begin using the metro amid several filling stations in the Vietnamese capital city having closed or limited sales over short supply in recent weeks, creating struggles for drivers in need of gasoline.

On the same metro trip on Wednesday morning, Dinh Thi Thuy Hang, another resident of Ha Dong District, was seen carrying a bike on board.

Hang said that she started cycling to work a long time ago, but because of traffic congestion, she switched to taking the metro line a month ago, bringing along a folding bicycle to travel to her office after getting off the train.

“Taking the metro is pressure-free, traffic jam-free, convenient, and enables me to always be on time to the minute,” Hang commented. 

“I visited many countries and found the metro in Hanoi to be comparatively quite clean and nice, and it’s equipped with escalators as well.

“Recently, the metro has become much more crowded."

Hang’s account was consistent with the information that Vu Hong Truong, general director of Hanoi Metro, gave Tuoi Tre on the same day.

Truong said the daily number of commuters on working days increased from 7,000 when the service was put into operation to its current 32,000 daily riders.

“Seventy percent of the commuters use monthly tickets during rush hour,” he added.

“On Saturdays and Sundays, about 27,000 passengers use the public transport.”

Costing VND18 trillion (US$725.3 million), the construction of the 13-kilometer Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line was initiated in October 2011.

It features 12 elevated stations and 13 trains which run from Cat Linh Station in Ba Dinh District to Yen Nghia Station in Ha Dong District.

The metro line was put into operation on November 6, 2021 and is currently the only metro line in Hanoi.

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