HCMC to ban sleeper buses in downtown area from next January

In a statement sent recently to relevant agencies, the city's administration said the purpose is to eliminate unlicensed buses and stations and relieve traffic congestion.

Sleeper buses will be banned in the area surrounded by National Highway 1, Nguyen Van Linh, Vo Chi Cong, Nguyen Thi Dinh, Dong Van Cong, Mai Chi Tho streets, and the Hanoi Highway.

However, these buses will still be allowed to run on those streets, which lie at the city's eastern and western gateways.

HCMC has around 58 transport companies operating around 1,600 buses on fixed routes with fixed stops, picking up passengers at stations in the city's outlying areas. There are also more than 1,350 transportation firms operating 91,000 buses that can be chartered for various purposes. Several companies disguise their services as charter services in order to enter the city's inner areas.