The city's Public Transport Management Centre said bus ridership reached about 1.88 million in the first seven days of the fare-free policy, up 33 per cent from the same period last year.
The biggest increases were recorded on inner-city routes, services linking the city centre and areas with large numbers of students and workers. Authorities said the figures suggested free fares had encouraged more people to switch to public transport.
Ridership on unsubsidised routes linking the city with neighbouring Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau also rose by 57 per cent to 59 per cent.
While free fares have largely removed cost barriers, private vehicle use and longer journey times remain major obstacles to wider bus use.
They added that the lack of dedicated bus lanes on most roads left buses vulnerable to traffic congestion, reducing punctuality and the appeal of the service.
The city plans to study dedicated bus lanes on suitable roads, optimise bus schedules, adjust service frequencies to meet demand and improve connections with the metro, water buses, public bicycles and other transport services.
