According to the ministry, passengers can also travel for free on 17 bus routes 153 to 169 that connect to the metro line for the first three months of the line’s operation.
"The policy aims to encourage the use of public transport," the ministry said.
In their latest announcement, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railways No. 1 Company said that they will run seven trains of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line during the first stage from July 1-September 30 this year. The three-carriage trains will operate between 5 am and 10 pm.
In the second stage from October 10-December 31, 12 trains will run on weekdays and nine on weekends and holidays between 5 am and 11.30 pm.
The line will operate at full capacity from January 1, 2025, with 15 trains during weekdays and nine at weekends and holidays between 5 am and 11.30 pm.
Work on the 19.70-kilometre-long metro line started in 2012 at a total cost of VND43.70 trillion (USD1.77 billion).
The trains are designed to run at up to 110 kilometres per hour above ground and 80 kilometres per hour underground.
The line was first scheduled to be put into operation in 2017 but has been delayed three times.
