The initiative marks the first time the city has introduced free travel on such a large scale across its bus network. The policy will remain in effect until the end of 2026.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, free travel applies to all passengers using the 134 bus routes operating within the city.
The programme will be introduced in two phases. From July 1 to September 30, all passengers can travel free of charge without registration, identity verification or authentication.
From October 1 until the end of the year, passengers will continue to travel free, but journeys must be recorded through identity verification using methods such as national identity cards, the VNeID digital identity application, bank cards, e-wallets or the MultiGo mobile application.
Separate arrangements will be introduced for older people, people with disabilities, children, school pupils, university students and occasional passengers to ensure convenient access to the service.
Since April 2025, the city's Public Transport Management Centre has operated the MultiGo application, which allows users to search bus and metro routes, locate bus stops, check fares, track vehicle arrivals in real time and view the registration number of approaching buses.
The application also supports cashless payments through popular e-wallets, including MoMo, ShopeePay and ZaloPay, as well as Visa, Mastercard and Napas bank cards. Users can also submit feedback through the application to help improve public transport services.
Ho Chi Minh City currently operates 180 bus routes, including both urban and interprovincial services, with a fleet of more than 2,400 buses.
Before the new policy took effect, subsidised bus fares ranged from VND 5,000 to VND 7,000 (approximately USD 0.19 to USD 0.27) per journey, while students paid VND 3,000 (approximately USD 0.12).