On the morning of November 5, the Economic and Budget Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council inspected the implementation of a policy covering 100% of bus fares under Resolution No. 09/2026/NQ-HĐND.
The inspection is intended to collect operating data from the first four months. The findings will support the next policy plan after the current resolution expires on December 31.
After the meeting, Nguyen Cong Danh, head of the Economic and Budget Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, asked the Department of Construction to work with the Department of Finance and the Public Transport Management Centre on a comprehensive assessment report.
The relevant agencies will use the report to study and propose a suitable support scheme from 2027.
They were also asked to clarify the subsidy’s actual effect using operating data from July through October.
According to the Department of Construction, fully subsidised bus routes carried more than 43 million passenger trips in the four months. October accounted for more than 13 million trips, up 44% from the same month last year. The on-time departure rate was 97.2%, above the 95% target.
Since October, the subsidy payment method has shifted from calculations based on accepted bus trips to a direct count of passengers recorded and verified by the electronic ticketing system, within the approved funding limit.
The city allocated 630 billion dong for the policy during the final six months of 2026. More than 492 billion dong was budgeted for 134 bus routes under the approved cost estimate and fare plan. Actual spending will be determined through acceptance and settlement procedures.
The inspection team asked agencies to improve data management, check unverified trips, and compare electronic ticket data with surveillance camera footage and positioning-device records. They must also accurately analyse the share of passengers who shifted from private vehicles to buses.
The committee will submit the consolidated results to the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council, which will consider and decide on the next policy.
Earlier, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction sought comments on a draft city People's Council resolution on developing passenger transport under the Urban Development Law. The new resolution is expected to take effect on January 1, 2027, immediately after Resolution No. 09/2026/NQ-HĐND on free bus fares expires.
The new draft shifts the city toward a long-term public transport policy with more targeted measures instead of free travel for every passenger group.
Sources: Dân Trí
