Ho Chi Minh City will ban long-haul buses from entering the inner-city area from January 10, 2023 to alleviate traffic jams and accidents as well as eliminate unlicensed coach stations and illegal pick-ups and drop-offs.

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee made the decision following a proposal by the municipal Department of Transport.

The director of the Department of Transport was assigned to conduct the plan on banning sleeper buses from the inlying area and keep a close watch on the real situations to regulate traffic in a flexible, prompt and appropriate manner.

The department will coordinate with relevant agencies to ensure the order of passenger transport activities.

The corridor (red line) inside which sleeper buses will be prohibited from entering. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport

Meanwhile, the municipal police must enhance patrols and inspections into the operation of sleeper buses to promptly detect and handle violations against traffic safety regulations, especially those stopping, picking up and dropping off passengers in unlicensed sites.

Under the plan, sleeper buses will be prohibited from traveling into the inner city area bounded by National Highway No. 1 - Nguyen Van Linh Street - Vo Chi Cong Street – Nguyen Thi Dinh Street - Dong Van Cong Street - Mai Chi Tho Boulevard - Hanoi Highway – National Highway 1 between 6:00 am to 10:00 pm every day.

However, sleeper buses will not be restricted from operating on corridors leading to and out of the Mien Tay (Western) Coach Station in Binh Tan District (National Highway 1 – Kinh Duong Vuong Street – Mien Tay Coach Station and vice versa) and the old Mien Dong (Eastern) Coach Station in Binh Thanh District (National Highway 1 – National Highway 13 – Dinh Bo Linh Street – old Mien Dong Coach Station and vice versa).

At present, Ho Chi Minh City regulates that coaches are allowed to pick up and drop off passengers at five coach stations in the city.

Most inter-provincial coach stations are located in the suburbs or near streets bounding the inlying area.

Moreover, coaches are not allowed to run through inner-city streets to ensure traffic safety in the area.

However, long-haul vehicles’ illegal pick-ups and drop-offs are on the rise, especially after many long-haul buses are required to pick up and drop off passengers at the new Mien Dong Coach Station in Thu Duc City instead of the old Mien Dong Coach Station.

Ho Chi Minh City has come up with many solutions to control long-haul buses, especially sleeper buses, to limit illegal pick-ups and drop-offs which have caused the urban disorder.

The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport had earlier studied and consulted with many relevant agencies, such as the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City, the municipal police, and districts in the inner-city area, over the plan to ban sleeper buses from entering the inlying area and got their support.

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