Long queues at Ben Thanh Station caused the area to become crowded.
Many people were left disheartened by the overwhelming crowds and decided to head back home.
A large number of people chose to ride the Metro Line 1, resulting in overcrowding and packed trains from early morning onwards.
Passengers lined up to buy tickets at Suoi Tien Station on the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake.
Not only locals but also a large number of people from neighboring provinces such as Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Vung Tau chose to take the Metro to the city center for entertainment.
From noon on the third day onwards, long queues of passengers were seen waiting to buy tickets and board the trains at all stations.
Most passengers had to wait for 30-60 minutes to board the trains in a crowded and pushy environment.
Due to the surge in passenger numbers, the trains on Metro Line 1 were packed to capacity.
Despite the maximum capacity of 930 passengers per train (including 147 seats and 783 standing spaces), the trains were still packed, with many passengers standing in the aisles near the doors.
“I took the opportunity to come and buy a metro ticket today since it’s a holiday,” said Ms. Tam, a resident of District 4. “However, the line is so long that I don’t know when I’ll be able to get on a train.”
Many young people also opted to ride the metro to celebrate the new year.
Station staff had to work at full capacity to prevent passenger congestion within the station.
The carriages heading from Thu Duc to Nguyen Hue Flower Street and vice versa were packed with passengers.
According to Tien Phong’s observation, most of the passengers came from provinces and cities neighboring Ho Chi Minh City. They took advantage of the holiday to experience this metro line.
As noon approached, the number of passengers arriving at Ben Thanh Station continued to increase.
The number of passengers on Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien) surged, leading to an overloaded situation.
The parking lot outside Ben Thanh Station was always full, with no vacant spaces available.
The Quiet Airport: Tan Son Nhat’s Unexpectedly Calm Holiday
On the final day of the 2/9 holiday, traffic at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City saw a decrease compared to previous estimates. Unlike previous years, there was no sign of passenger congestion or traffic jams, with visitor numbers merely matching the daily average.
