HCMC – Free bus fares in HCMC may not significantly increase ridership as slow travel times, limited connectivity and inconvenience remain constraints, experts said at a webinar.
The webinar, titled “Pull and Push Solutions for Public Transport in HCMC,” was organized by Saigon Entrepreneur magazine and the Institute for Vietnam Initiatives (IVI) as the city prepares to waive bus fares to encourage public transport use.
Nguyen Quoc Hien, deputy head of the Management Authority for Urban Railways of HCMC (MAUR), said the city is updating plans for a metro network of 900–1,000 kilometers. Buses will continue to play a central role while the metro system is under development.
The city has more than 2,400 buses in service. Based on international benchmarks of about 900 buses per one million people, the current fleet meets around one-third of demand.
A 5–7 kilometer bus trip takes about 40 minutes, compared with 15–20 minutes by motorbike.
Huynh The Du of the IVI described free fares as an economically grounded measure that could help form travel habits and generate social benefits. However, he noted that time and convenience affect overall travel costs. He estimated that the time costs for some low-income users could reach about VND12,000 per trip.
The city’s dense alley network and sidewalk activities support door-to-door travel by motorbike, while bus services face limits in coverage, frequency and connections.
Vu Anh Tuan said fare waivers could encourage trial use but may add pressure to the budget over time. He noted that usage decisions depend on convenience and flexibility.
With a population of more than 14 million, the metro is expected to serve as the backbone of the system, while buses provide connections, he added.
Experts at the event said additional measures to limit private vehicles, along with metro development and bus network upgrades, are needed to improve public transport.
