Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line investor proposes 1-month free rides

The ticket was proposed to cost VND9,000-24,000 (US$0.38-1) per single trip later, depending on the distance.

Passengers making payments via metro cards will pay VND7,000-18,000 ($0.3-0.8) per single trip.

The fare was proposed at VND48,000 ($2) per day and VND108,000 ($4.6) per three days.

Meanwhile, individual passengers can buy monthly tickets for VND330,000 ($14.1) each, while students may get a discount of 50 percent on monthly tickets.

People with disabilities, children, senior citizens, and those with meritorious services, were proposed to enjoy free trips.

The fares were put forward based on the ticket prices on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, the first of its kind in Hanoi, and passengers’ payment capability in the initial operation of the line.

The Ho Chi Minh Management Center of Public Transport has sent the fare proposals to the municipal Department of Transport for consideration, a representative of the center told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday.

The city’s first metro line, which is 19.7 kilometers long, runs from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City and carries an estimated price tag of VND43.7 trillion ($1.9 billion) funded by Japan's ODA loans.

It embarked on its third test run on a 12.3-kilometer section of the elevated track on April 6 at below 50 kilometers per hour.

Metro trains departed from Suoi Tien Station in Thu Duc City and passed through several other stations before returning to Suoi Tien.

The metro underwent its first test run on December 21 last year at under 40 kilometers per hour. Its second trial run was held on January 18 this year.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has demanded that the construction of the project, which is now some 95 percent complete, be completed by September 2 this year.
Source: Tuoi Tre News