Infiltrating the heavily guarded illegal bus terminals in Ho Chi Minh City.

After spending weeks "stationed" around the new Eastern Bus Station area (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City), we were surprised by the reality unfolding there.

Infiltrating the heavily guarded illegal bus terminals in Ho Chi Minh City.

In mid-November 2023, passenger transport in Ho Chi Minh City was hotter than ever as major players in the industry urgently tightened regulations. However, many transport companies continued to operate brazenly in their own territory, as if no laws existed.

While present at Lien Phuong Street (in Phu Huu Ward, Thu Duc City), we witnessed a bustling passenger pick-up and drop-off activity even more vibrant than at the new Eastern Bus Station, despite this location not being far from Vietnam's most modern bus station.

Along this short stretch of road, there are 5-6 parking lots constantly bustling with passenger buses and shuttle vehicles coming and going. These vehicles bear license plates with names like Kumho Samco, Tam Hanh, Ha Phuong, and Hai Nam. Some even have stickers that say "Tourist," "Travel," or " Tourist Bus."

Viewed from above, the parking lots appear quite solidly constructed, with concrete foundations and securely fenced with interconnected sheets of corrugated iron. Within each lot, there is an "administrative area" where drivers can rest and change shifts.

Notably, these parking lots are clustered together, forming a large-scale parking complex.

According to some residents living in the area, after the Thanh Buoi bus company had its business license revoked indefinitely, accessing parking lots on Lien Phuong Street has become more difficult. There are always people guarding the parking lots. When they see anyone approaching, the staff immediately become alert and question them about their purpose. Getting into the parking lot is not easy.

On November 15th, after waiting in a parking lot for about three hours, we witnessed a continuous stream of passenger buses and shuttle vehicles bearing the Kumho Samco, Tam Hanh, and Ha Phuong labels entering and exiting.

As the vehicle bearing the words "Tam Hanh Travel" arrived at the parking lot, the gate closed quickly, and passengers were directed by staff to disembark.

About an hour later, the gate of the Tam Hanh parking lot opened. This time, the sleeper bus, now full of passengers, sped out onto Lien Phuong Street.

The doors open and close, people come and go, just like a real bus station.

Similar to what happened at Tam Hanh and Ha Phuong bus companies, the dropping off of passengers at the parking lot allegedly belonging to Kumho Samco also took place "professionally" and quickly.

Upon seeing the car preparing to pull into the parking lot, the two employees of the taxi company immediately opened the gate, while the driver quickly reversed the car into the parking lot and closed the gate. About 5 minutes later, around 10 passengers, carrying their luggage, sat down to drink water in front of the gate of what is believed to be the Kumho Samco parking lot, waiting for their ride-hailing motorbikes to pick them up.

Upon inquiring around, we were surprised to learn that passengers were quite familiar with this mode of transportation. When we asked if they knew about the new Eastern Bus Station nearby, one passenger said yes. However, they still chose to travel with Kumho Samco buses and accepted the stops along Lien Phuong Street because, "I find it convenient, what's the problem?"

The hustle and bustle of these dubious parking lots is in stark contrast to the bleak situation of the new Eastern Bus Station, which received an investment of over 4 trillion VND, covers an area of ​​over 16 hectares, and is located right in Thu Duc City, boasting infrastructure, equipment, and technology considered the most modern in Vietnam.

Posing as passengers wanting to travel on the Ho Chi Minh City - Vung Tau route, we went to a parking lot supposedly belonging to Kumho Samco on Lien Phuong Street to inquire about purchasing tickets, but were unsuccessful. Seeing strangers, the parking lot staff became wary and refused our request. Instead, they instructed us to call the hotline number on their website to book tickets.

Having failed to approach them, we decided to change our approach by loitering at a drinks stall in front of the parking lot supposedly belonging to Kumho Samco and Tam Hanh.

Sure enough, when they heard us talking on the phone about needing to buy a large number of tickets to Vung Tau City, an employee wearing a Kumho Samco bus company uniform offered to guide us on how to purchase tickets.

This person said we could call ahead to book tickets or buy tickets directly at the Kumho Samco parking lot (299 Lien Phuong Street) - the same location where we were initially turned away.

After showing us how to buy tickets, the man quickly went back into the parking lot. Once again, the gate slammed shut.

About an hour later, two employees from Kumho Samco parking lot appeared at the shop and were addressed as "boss" by the owner. After striking up a conversation, both introduced themselves as working at the Kumho parking lot.

When they learned we needed to buy a large number of bus tickets to Vung Tau for a trip, the two "bosses" readily shared the schedule and ticket prices: "The last bus to Vung Tau is at 7 PM, the ticket price is 165,000 VND/ticket/route." They also mentioned that Kumho Samco bus company is ready to pick up passengers and can do so along the way.

According to the two "bosses," the listed ticket price for the Ho Chi Minh City - Vung Tau route on Kumho Samco buses at the new Eastern Bus Station is 180,000 VND/ticket/route, but if we buy tickets directly at 299 Lien Phuong Street, the price is only 165,000 VND/ticket/route.

So, there was a clear price difference at the two ticket sales locations for the same route operated by Kumho Samco?

Furthermore, both the "managers" and employees at this parking lot openly employ various tactics to evade authorities.

On the afternoon of November 15th, while bus companies were busy transporting passengers, an inter-agency inspection team arrived. Despite the surprise inspection, the bus company employees did not panic; on the contrary, they calmly handled the situation with surprising smoothness.

As soon as they saw the inter-agency inspection team, one of the two "bosses" sitting outside the coffee shop picked up his phone and made a call, instructing the people in the parking lot to put all the passengers on the "buses," and simultaneously demanding: "Take everyone to the new terminal."

While on the phone, this "boss" remained seated calmly at the cafe, showing no signs of worry. The other person wasn't idle either; they directed the car, which was about to pull into the parking lot, to quickly reverse into the "headquarters" and close the gate.

Following orders from their superiors, the parking lot gates quickly closed, and an employee hurriedly used a motorbike to take a customer out of the parking lot. From a place of bustling activity with cars constantly coming and going, the parking lot suddenly became eerily quiet.

After 30 minutes of work, the inter-agency inspection team left the Kumho Samco parking lot.

Recording this inspection using a drone, we witnessed other bus companies "locking their doors," employing a tactic of remaining inactive even though there were still passengers inside.

Continuing to monitor the every move of the bus operators, we were surprised to see that as soon as the inter-agency inspection team left, everything went back to normal. The bus operators continued to open and close the gates according to signals from the drivers. Passengers still struggled to carry their luggage out of the parking lot.

The question arises: Are bus companies allowed to sell tickets and pick up/drop off passengers at the parking lots on Lien Phuong Street? And why, despite being registered to depart from the new Eastern Bus Station, are bus company employees still brazenly selling tickets without going through the new Eastern Bus Station? Who manages and supervises these activities?

Regarding the issue of illegal bus stops being surrounded by unlicensed vehicles, a representative of the new Eastern Bus Station confirmed to VTC News that they are aware of the situation and have repeatedly coordinated with authorities to invite bus companies to operate within the station in accordance with regulations. However, to date, there has been no positive action taken.

>>> Part 2: Unmasking the tactics used by bus companies in Ho Chi Minh City to lure passengers to illegal parking lots.

Source: https://vtc.vn/tham-nhap-nhung-ben-xe-lau-duoc-canh-chung-can-mat-o-tp-hcm-ar839851.html