Under a city resolution, passengers will receive free travel on 134 intra-city bus routes from July 1 through the end of 2026.
To support the scheme, the city's Public Transport Management Centre is upgrading bus services, expanding infrastructure and accelerating the transition to greener vehicles.
The city currently operates 180 bus routes, including 158 intra-city and 22 interprovincial services. More than 93 per cent of subsidised routes have been awarded under competitive tenders.
Of the city's 2,432 buses, 1,649 or nearly 68 per cent run on electricity or compressed natural gas (CNG), including 1,423 electric buses and 226 CNG-powered vehicles.
All intra-city buses are expected to run on electricity or other environmentally friendly energy by January 2027, with the entire fleet, including interprovincial buses, set to become fully electric by 2029.
The city is also upgrading bus infrastructure, including 37 terminals, more than 6,200 bus stops and 1,030 shelters. More than 1,500 faded road markings have been restored, while new bus shelters and stop signs are being installed.
Covered walkways are being added to improve links between bus stops and Metro Line 1 stations, including Ben Thanh, Van Thanh, An Phu and National University stations.
In addition to the four multi-storey parking facilities, the city is studying plans to build six to eight smart parking garages near metro stations and other high-demand areas.
An electronic ticketing system has been deployed on 135 intra-city bus routes, with nearly 2,000 buses equipped with card readers and connected to all 14 stations on Metro Line 1.
Passengers can pay fares using bank cards, e-wallets, citizen ID cards, the VNeID app or QR codes. The MultiGo mobile app also allows users to plan journeys, track bus arrivals, make cashless payments and submit service feedback.