What to do to “resolve” for the largest bus station in the country?

The new Mien Dong bus station (BXMD) has a total investment of more than 4,000 billion VND, and was put into operation in October 2020. When put into operation, the authorities for 21 fixed routes from Quang Tri to the northern provinces moved to the new MCC. After nearly two years of operation, currently, the new BOM only receives an average of 47 passengers per day.

The bus station is empty, The company is also frustrated

As noted by PV, the waiting area in the new BOM was empty, with only a guard and a few active staff.

There are only about 10 motorbikes in the thousands of m2 underground parking lot, most of the employees work at the station… The drivers said that customers usually pick them up at the old BMCC (Binh Thanh district) or along the road, then new to the new BOM (Thu Duc city) to do the procedures.

There are no customers, the service stalls are also empty because there are no customers to serve.

Talking to PV, Mr. Nguyen Tan Thanh (driver running the route Ho Chi Minh City – Hanoi) said that the car runs regularly between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and has to pick up passengers at the new BOM, but there is a trip that can’t pick up any guests. Usually, guests just wait outside the gate, not inside.

“The largest, most modern bus station in the country is at the forefront of the country, but it is a waste to be empty. At present, the ambiguity between the new and the old one also makes it difficult for passengers to understand. Accordingly, the management unit needs to soon relocate the routes to one place so that people can travel more conveniently, “- Mr. Thanh shared.

Similarly, driver Quang (running the Ho Chi Minh City – Ha Tinh route) also said that passengers are not interested in the new BCM. Normally, the bus picks up 20-25 passengers and most of them book tickets in advance rather than buying tickets at the station. The number of guests picked up at the new BOM is much less, even without guests.

The owner of a bus company on the route from Ho Chi Minh City to Thai Nguyen said that since the day he returned to the new bus station, there were usually no customers, so the firms often parked at the old bus station or at Nga Tu Ga bus station. “If we still maintain only some routes, the new MOC will not be effective” – ​​this person said.

The new eastern bus station is deserted, without a single customer. Photo: BAO PHUONG

Proper planning, implementation is flawed

Architect (Architect) Ngo Viet Nam Son, urban planning expert, affirmed that the conversion from the old building block to the new wharf is completely right. This conversion will contribute to reducing traffic jams on the current National Highway 13, and at the same time reducing the overload in the old MCC.

Nam Son Architects said that the new building block serves the entire East of Ho Chi Minh City and the location of the wharf is completely suitable for the development direction, suitable for regional linkages and ensures traffic. The wharf is also connected to the metro, so it will promote transport efficiency.

However, the plan is correct, but the implementation plan is flawed.

“When transferring from the old bus station to the new BOM, there must be no ambiguity between these two stations, the policy must be definitive. Specifically, we need to set out some policies, a preparation time for definitive implementation. For the trips that have been transferred to the new BXD, passengers are only allowed to go from the new BXD, there’s no need to leave from the old BXD” – Nam Son Architects.

For those who go from the old MCC, it is necessary to create favorable conditions by making the bus transit center from here – but not allowing departure from the old CSC. Passengers can also go to the old BOM to buy tickets to create favorable conditions for people.

“This is a bus station serving the East, the whole of Ho Chi Minh City, not serving a group of people. Therefore, we need to see that the project lacks a consistent and synchronous implementation plan. We need to calculate and move all routes to the new MCC, while the old wharf can be a transit place for people to travel more conveniently,” emphasized architect Ngo Viet Nam Son.

Definitive transfer of routes to the new BOM

Similarly, Mr. Le Trung Tinh, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Passenger Car Transport Association, said that the reason for the empty bus station given by the Department of Transport has both subjective and objective factors. However, in order to promote the efficiency of the most modern bus station in the country, the Department of Transport needs to calculate and immediately make a transition system between the old and new stations, creating convenience for passengers.

In addition, the situation of “parachute cars, toad docks” has existed for many years, the transport sector and traffic police need to have an effective plan to eliminate it.

Mr. Tinh also said that for services and services, the new BCM is still empty because customers travel very little. Accordingly, it is necessary to bid and immediately deploy the best services for passengers to choose about this bus station.

“Only when all routes are transferred to the new MCC will the station’s efficiency be brought into play because passengers do not know which routes are going from the old MCC and which routes are going from the new UMRT. More specifically, the quality of service in the new Cement Board must be better and more modern than the old one” – Mr. Tinh said.•

DAO TRANG