Ben Thanh Station was busier than usual on the morning of September 2, with thousands of passengers arriving to take advantage of free metro and bus services for National Day.
Crowds began forming at Ben Thanh Station early in the morning. At around 9 am, staff worked continuously to manage passenger flows and help people board trains. Buses were also a popular option for reaching attractions across the city.
Free metro and bus travel for National Day made public transport a popular choice among residents.
Passenger numbers at Ben Thanh Station continued to rise towards midday. While regular commuters quickly passed through the gates, many first-time passengers stopped to look around, take photos and learn how to enter the station.
Metro staff were stationed near ticket gates to inform passengers that travel was free on September 2.
Crowds queued to board trains in the underground Ben Thanh Station and on platforms.
Instead of travelling home for the holiday, a group of ninth-grade students, including Truong Tien Anh, took the free metro to Ben Thanh Market.
Nguyen Thi Thai Thanh, 22, and her friends also took the metro for a National Day outing. They got off at Thao Dien Station to visit cafés, walk around the area and take photos.
Some passengers were surprised to learn that metro travel was free, while others had already bought tickets through the app. Staff were stationed at the gates to inform passengers of the free-fare policy.
Passengers could travel free on the metro in two ways: by collecting a ticket at the counter or scanning a QR code on the app.
Metro staff continuously printed tickets for passengers waiting to pass through the gates.
