Nghe An: Trains and cars 'hold their breath' waiting for Tet passengers

At this time, at bus stations and train stations in Nghe An, the most noticeable thing is the lack of passengers on all routes. Although it has entered the passenger transport season for Tet, the reception and drop-off halls are very few people. Compared to the same time last year, the number of passengers has decreased significantly. This makes the bus companies really worried about the prospect of a Tet season.loss.

The Northern Bus Station's passenger pick-up and drop-off hall is deserted, with modern sleeper buses lying quietly waiting for passengers. Photo: Tien Dong

A driver on the Vinh - Lang Son route said that although it is close to Tet, the number of passengers is very low. Each trip between Vinh - Lang Son costs more than 11 million VND, but there are trips with only 3 bus drivers and 2 passengers. In previous years, during this time, many people went to the northern border gate area to shop for Tet or get goods to sell. But this year, due to fear of the epidemic, few people went. Bus companies are forced to run because they have closed their doors, even though they know that the more they run, the more they lose.

Many workers who work far away said that this year is difficult due to low salaries and bonuses, so the whole family decided to stay home for Tet to reduce expenses and wait for a job with a more stable income before returning.

Occasionally, there are only a few passengers on the bus, while every night there are dozens of buses departing from Bac Vinh bus station to the northern provinces. Photo: Tien Dong

Currently, bus companies are also "waiting" to see if the number of passengers is positive or not to repair, arrange additional buses or have adjustment plans.ticket price.

Post and update train ticket prices on the bulletin board for passengers to easily follow. Photo: Tien Dong

Privaterailway, this year there are 10 additional train pairs running from Saigon - Hanoi and vice versa. In addition, the destinations to Vinh from Saigon and Hanoi are also reinforced with 2-3 train pairs. It is known that the train ticket price for Tet Tan Suu 2021 is adjusted to decrease by 10-20% compared to Tet 2020 depending on the train time.

However, if last year, within 1 month before, during and after Tet, there were 48,236 return passengers and 41,479 departure passengers from Vinh Station, an average of 2,000 passengers/day, but this year the number is expected to decrease. Although the first round of sales has been opened since October 1, 2020, there are still a lot of unsold tickets.

Although there are plans to increase the number of trains, the number of passengers arriving and departing from Vinh is forecast to decrease compared to last year's Tet holiday. Photo: Tien Dong

According to Mr. Cao Ngoc Tuan - Head of Vinh Railway Transport Station, this year due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the number of passengers arriving and departing from Vinh Station is forecasted to decrease. Tourists and visitors to visit relatives will also decrease.

Due to concerns about a possible Covid-19 outbreak, many people are rushing to return to their hometowns before Tet, avoiding the peak season which is both unsafe and prone to traffic jams. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung - Head of Transport Management Department, Nghe An Department of Transport said that during the Tet holiday last year, there were about 200,000 people traveling to and from Nghe An by all three modes of transport: road, rail and air. Since the 6th of January of the year of the Rat, due to the beginning of social distancing, the number of passengers from Vinh (mainly students) has decreased suddenly. This year, if the epidemic situation is stable, it is expected that the number of passengers traveling to and from Nghe An during the Tet holiday will increase, but certainly not as much as in previous years.

The number of visitors to and from Nghe An during Tet is expected to increase but not as much as previous years. Photo: Tien Dong

Mr. Hung also said that at the end of December 2020, the Steering Committee for Passenger Transport for the Lunar New Year 2021 of the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued a plan to organize and deploy passenger transport services before, during and after the Lunar New Year 2021, to ensure safe and convenient travel for people. Regarding ticket price adjustments, the transport industry absolutely does not encourage ticket price increases. Any unit that wants to increase ticket prices must notify the authorities in writing 5 days in advance. If there is a violation, it will be handled according to regulations.