HCMC – After two months of trial operation, the express ferry service connecting HCMC and Con Dao Island off the coast of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province will suspend operations from July 29 due to inefficiency.
The investor, Phu Quoc Express, has announced the forthcoming indefinite suspension.
The HCMC-Con Dao ferry service was inaugurated on May 13, with ticket prices ranging from VND615,000 to VND1.1 million per passenger depending on class.
The ferry, measuring over 77 meters in length and 9.5 meters in width, could accommodate 1,017 passengers. The service offers three trips per week, with travel time from HCMC to Con Dao lasting four hours.
According to the operator, the vessel carries an average of 200 passengers per trip on weekdays, and the number rises to 600 to 700 on weekends.
However, the service has been facing a couple of issues, including the 20-km distance for passenger transfer from the city center to Hiep Phuoc Port in Nha Be District, a port entrance fee on passengers and difficulties in grabbing a taxi cab from the port to the city.
Following the cessation of operations on the HCMC-Con Dao route, the ferry will be used for the Vung Tau-Con Dao route.
