After the Lunar New Year, bus companies more than doubled their ticket prices.
After the Lunar New Year of 2025, the number of passengers traveling from Nghe An to provinces in the North and South increased dramatically, leading to a shortage of tickets. Even though bus fares to the South more than doubled, passengers still had to reluctantly buy them.
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On the morning of the 5th day of the Lunar New Year, Mr. Tran Van N from Hoa Son commune, Do Luong district, bought a bus ticket to Ho Chi Minh City. He said: "Normally, a ticket from Do Luong to Ho Chi Minh City costs 700,000 VND, but during Tet it has increased to 1.7 million VND, yet I still have to buy it because there are so many people traveling."
When I contacted another bus company in Do Luong district to buy tickets, the staff said the price was 1.7 million VND per person for trips to the southern provinces, but tickets were sold out for the 5th, and there wouldn't be another trip until the 7th. They said if I didn't book my ticket today, it would be sold out by evening.
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On the same day, we contacted another bus company in Yen Thanh district to buy tickets to Ho Chi Minh City. The staff there informed us that the ticket price was 1.9 million VND per person. When asked why the price had increased from 1.7 million VND last year to 1.9 million VND this year, the staff explained that "ticket prices vary each year."
Upon investigation, it was found that transport companies operating routes to Nghe An and other southern provinces have increased cargo prices by 30-50%. For example, a cargo box weighing 15-20 kg, which normally earns 100,000 VND per day, now costs 150,000 VND during Tet (Lunar New Year). Some vehicles are limiting cargo and prioritizing passenger transport to increase their income.
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On other inter-provincial routes, bus ticket prices have also nearly doubled. For example, on buses from Quynh Luu district to Da Nang, the normal price of 250,000 VND/ticket has now increased to 450,000 VND/ticket. VIP sleeper bus tickets have gone from 500,000 VND/ticket to 800,000 VND/ticket...
According to our research, on some inter-provincial routes such as from Nghe An to Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Nam, etc., ticket prices have increased slightly by 30%.
According to a survey, while most bus companies in Nghe An province have increased their fares, some reputable companies have not. Regarding the fare increase, some companies claim that it is a surcharge for the return trip, which has virtually no passengers.
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Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung, Chief Inspector of the Nghe An Department of Transport, added: "Most transport businesses that increase ticket prices must submit proposals and be assessed and approved by the competent authorities of the Department of Transport and the Department of Finance, in order to compensate for losses because the return journey has no passengers."
However, fare increases should not be arbitrarily raised too high. If the public complains about excessive fare increases, the traffic inspectorate will investigate and take action. After Tet, in addition to coordinating with other functional forces to ensure road traffic safety, the traffic inspectorate will also inspect and handle cases of fare increases that do not comply with regulations.
