Ho Chi Minh City’s Public Transport Management Center has announced that passengers will be able to travel free of charge on 134 urban bus routes from July 1, 2026, under a citywide fare support programme. The policy applies to intra-city bus services but excludes interprovincial routes, airport bus services, tourist sightseeing buses and routes operating through neighbouring provinces.
The programme will be implemented in two phases. During the first phase, from July 1 to September 30, passengers will be able to travel free without registration or identity verification while the city completes its e-ticketing system and supporting digital infrastructure. From October 1 to December 31, free travel will be linked to passenger authentication through ID cards, the VNeID application, bank cards, e-wallets and the MultiGo platform. The city will also continue upgrading bus stops and passenger facilities during 2026–2027.
The initiative forms part of Ho Chi Minh City’s broader strategy to expand public transport usage and accelerate fleet electrification. The city currently operates 2,432 buses, including 1,649 electric and green-energy vehicles, representing nearly 68 per cent of the fleet. By the end of 2026, an additional 624 buses are expected to be converted to electric operation, with all intra-city bus routes targeted to operate using electric or green-energy buses by early 2027 and the entire bus fleet, including interprovincial services, planned to transition to electric vehicles by early 2029.