A probe by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper has disclosed the operation of a group of unscrupulous GrabBike drivers at a major bus station in Ho Chi Minh City. The paper’s correspondents came to the Mien Dong (Eastern) Bus Station in Binh Thanh District on the early mornings of February 20 and 21 to investigate the situation. Despite a large number of drivers in GrabBike uniform at three gates of the venue, passengers still encountered immense difficulty as they tried to book a ride. At around 3:00 am on February 20, a reporter booked a journey from the bus station to Tuoi Tre headquarters in Phu Nhuan District. While the regular fare is only VND20,000 (US$0.88), the price at that time was VND65,000 ($2.86) due to “high demand.” Upon the journalist agreeing to the cost, no driver was found. The journalist had to retry the process for a dozen times before eventually finding himself a driver. As the Grab application was showing, the driver was Hoang Dinh Tan, who rode a Yamaha Sirius with license plate number 63P1-04.896. However, Tan did not contact his passenger, forcing the customer to call him instead. The driver did not answer the call, repeatedly, before sending a text message saying, “I have picked up another passenger as I was unable to reach you.” After spotting multiple GrabBike drivers with their signature green jackets, the reporter approached one and sought for help. The driver, around 30, said he would help book a ride with his phone, before stating… [Read full story]
A GrabBike driver has been attacked by a group of traditional motorbike taxi drivers, or xe om, near a bus station in Ho Chi Minh City.Police in Hoc Mon District confirmed on Tuesday that they were dealing with a gang attack on a GrabBike driver at An Suong Bus Station, in the district’s Ba Diem Commune.The victim was identified as Hoang Long D., a resident of District 12, who has been brought to the hospital for a check-up, Grab Vietnam said on the same day.According to witnesses, D. arrived at the bus station on Monday evening to pick up a…... [read more]
No one was hurt in the blaze which was caused by a short-circuit in a ceiling fan. A Ho Chi Minh City bus burst into flames on Saturday morning soon after its passengers boarded another vehicle. Nguyen Van Tinh, 40, said he was driving the bus down Truong Chinh Street in Tan Phu District when he caught whiff of a burning smell coming from the roof. He pulled over, transferred his passengers to another bus, and was waiting for a repair team when the flames broke out. The bus's small fire extinguisher failed to quell the blaze, inspiring neighbors to…... [read more]
A woman has been injured in an explosion at an electrical substation in Ho Chi Minh City, sparking fears over the safety of the equipment in use. A woman has been injured in an explosion at an electrical substation in Ho Chi Minh City, sparking fears over the safety of the equipment in use. Tran Quoc Thanh Nha, 33, of Binh Tan District, was still being treated for burns across her face and body at the Trung Vuong Hospital on Tuesday. Her injuries, which are most serious on her face, arms, and legs, were caused by a power substation explosion…... [read more]
A man claiming to be drug abuser has been blackmailing money from passengers at downtown bus stops in Ho Chi Minh City. A man claiming to be drug abuser has been blackmailing money from passengers at downtown bus stops in Ho Chi Minh City. The man, in his 40s, has been traveling by bicycle to bus stops in the southern hub on the hunt for vulnerable preys he can ‘ask’ for cash, threatening those who fail to fork over money with a knife or syringe. Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters collected video footage of the illegal act, even sending one…... [read more]
(CPV) - According to the Ho Chi Minh city Transport Department, in 2013, the total subsidy expenditure for the bus system was nearly VND1,391 billion, an increase of VND100 billion compared to 2012. While the average number of trips per day is about 17,665, a decrease of 0.3%; the number of subsidized trips is 6,447, a decrease of 39,000 trips; the average number of passengers is 1,712 arrivals per day, a decrease of 8%; and the number of bus decreased 82 buses compared to 2012. Over the past year, the number of passengers reached 414.3 million, of whom 374.7 million…... [read more]
