Strengthening National Holiday travel services

The travel demand is expected to hike during the coming National Holiday (September 2) due to 4 consecutive days off from August 30 to September 2.  Transportation businesses have added more trips to serve the busy period.

Khanh Hoa Coach Station and Transport Services Joint Stock Company has issued a plan to mobilize additional vehicles and proactively coordinate with transport businesses to mobilize sufficient vehicles to meet the increased travel demand during the National Holiday.

Waterway Traffic Police check vehicles prior a the departure at Nha Trang Tourist Wharf.

According to Nguyen Cong Hai, Director of the Southern Interprovincial Coach Station, during the peak days, the number of vehicles departing from the station is expected to increase to 170 - 175/day with 3,500 – 4,000 passengers. Currently, the Coach Station has connected 79 bus routes to 28 provinces and cities nationwide and 1 intra-provincial route to meet the rising travel needs.

The Railway Transport Nha Trang Branch has also had a plan to add more trains between Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City and some neighboring provinces to serve the passenger hike.

Specifically, on Ho Chi Minh City–Nha Trang route, train SNT4 will run on August 29 and 30, while trains SNT6, SNT8, and SNT10 will be added on August 29. For the return route from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City, trains SNT3 and SNT5 will operate on September 1 and 2. On the Ho Chi Minh City–Quy Nhon route, train SE30 will run daily from August 28 to September 1, and train SQN2 will be added on August 29. Meanwhile, on the Quy Nhon–Ho Chi Minh City route, train SE29 will operate daily from August 29 to September 2, and train SQN1 will run on September 2. In addition, the company operates additional charter trains when passenger demand increases.

Nguyen Van Tien, Deputy Director of Nha Trang Railway Transport Branch said that currently, 86% of the tickets on Nha Trang - Ho Chi Minh City route have ben sold out with the remaining availability consisting primarily of seat-only options. Additional trains will be scheduled as needed to ensure sufficient capacity and smooth passenger service.

To ensure sufficient vehicles to meet the travel during the September 2 holiday, the Department of Construction has requested road transport businesses to have a plan to arrange enough vehicles, drivers, and service staff on the vehicles; comply with regulations on registration, declaration, and posting of fares; and have incentives for policy beneficiaries, the disabled and those in need.

According to Tran Quang Ngoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Construction, to ensure safety for the holiday travel, the department has requested the Transport Management Office to coordinate with the Provincial Traffic Police Department, Inland Waterways Port Authority, People's Committees of communes and wards to monitor business conditions and safety of vehicles, bus stations and inland waterway wharves; and the Traffic Management Office to coordinate with local authorities to effectively implement solutions to prevent and reduce traffic accidents, especially on steep mountain passes and at railway crossings.

The Department has also requested the Provincial Police to increase patrols to tighten enforcement against traffic offences, especially illegal parking and pick-up or drop-off to assure travel convenience and safety for the holiday travel.

With a surge in tourists anticipated in Nha Trang Bay and Vinh Hy Bay, the Department of Construction has directed inland waterway passenger transport operators and port management units to enhance safety measures and service readiness. These include strengthening passenger safety guidance, proactively developing service plans to meet increased transportation demand, and intensifying inspections of inland waterway vehicles to ensure compliance with technical safety standards to maintain safe and efficient operations throughout the peak travel period.

V.K

Translated by N.T