Cars are twice or three times more expensive than passenger cars but are still popular
Due to fear of traffic jams and trying to stay a little more time with her parents, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga (23 years old), from Thanh Hoa, a student at Hanoi University of Education, chose to return to Hanoi on the night of the first day. February 14 (5th day of Tet).
Ms. Nga shared: “In previous years, I often took a bus to go home to celebrate Tet and return to Hanoi, but the bus ran on the right route and on time, so I had to move from home to the bus station or parking lot very quickly. It takes time. Now, there is a convenient car, so it’s very convenient for me to book in a group. They pick me up at home, the price is a bit higher but the time is suitable.”
Mr. Nguyen Duy Thieu (hometown of Thai Nguyen city, residing in Kim Giang, Hanoi) said that from morning to 4:00 p.m. on the 4th day of Tet, he contacted many shared cars and carpools to return to Hanoi to prepare for the upcoming days. worked at the beginning of the year but not yet. Most of the familiar cars were full, so he had to take a limousine. However, due to the large number of passengers, Mr. Thieu had to take the late afternoon flight.
Combined cars and convenient cars are being chosen by more and more people. Photo: NT
And Ms. Nguyen Thi Giang (43 years old) is from the city. Thanh Hoa, who lives in Hanoi, said she chose a shared car because the travel time is flexible, most importantly, they pick you up at home and the price is convenient because her family only has 2 children.
“Renting a car for a family with 2 people is very expensive. I take a convenient car, the price is half the price. The mother and daughter go from Cau Giay (Hanoi) to Thanh Hoa for only 800 thousand VND, the return trip. It’s a bit more expensive, the driver charges 900 thousand VND, but I’m quite satisfied,” Ms. Giang shared.
900,000 VND for 2 seats, which means each seat is 450,000 VND, this price is nearly twice as expensive as the price for 1 high-quality passenger car seat from Thanh Hoa to Hanoi, but many people still accept to ride a car together because of its convenience. convenient.
Mr. Nguyen Van Bac, a vehicle owner who accepts to combine cars and transport passengers on trips, shared: “I am not a driver, the family car only has 2 husband and wife and 1 small child, so there are 3 extra seats in the back, I accepted. 3 customers let me combine cars to get more money for gas. Traveling with more people is fun and also has money for gas.”
While the combined buses and shuttle buses are ‘full’ of passengers, many passenger buses from Thanh Hoa – Hanoi are only filled with enough passengers, while the other way from Hanoi to Thanh Hoa is empty, sometimes only being transported. Missing a few customers.
Mr. Pham Vo – bus operator at Anh Huy Company (running the Hanoi – Ha Long route) also said that from the morning of the 4th day of Tet, the buses running from Ha Long to Hanoi were full, but on the return trip most of the buses were empty. . However, the company still maintains the ticket price of 250,000 VND/person.
The bus station no longer has the “crowded” scene like before
Recorded at My Dinh bus station, Hanoi, on the afternoon of February 14, the number of passengers getting off the station began to increase compared to the morning, but was also much less than in previous years.
A staff member on duty at the station said that compared to previous years, before and after Tet in 2024, the number of passengers entering the station is very small. The main reason is the strong development of personal vehicles, along with the increase in the number of shared vehicles.
The bus station on Tet holiday is still quite deserted. Photo: Minh Hanh.
Some experts in the field of transportation believe that people using hybrid and convenient vehicles is the trend of the times. This will happen more in the future. From a certain perspective, riding a shared car or a convenient car is very convenient because people are picked up and picked up, travel time is fast, and the price is reasonable.
However, this person also recommends that when traveling by car, you should pay attention to choosing safe cars and skilled drivers. In particular, you must negotiate carefully on the price to avoid situations where there is a price conflict after getting on the bus or when the bus takes too many people, the bus crashes, or skips the trip…
“Many hybrid vehicles are not business vehicles and are not registered with management agencies. The drivers mainly take trips so they give them rides to earn extra income. They do not have to do business regularly, so they also lack the necessary skills.” Passenger service capabilities, routes are unknown, customers need to discuss carefully before choosing,” the expert from a famous high-quality bus company added.