HCMC’s 1st metro route could have maximum fare of 51 US cents

HCMC’s first metro line will have fares of VND7,000-12,000 (30-51 U.S. cents) if its management’s proposal is approved.

They are slightly lower than the VND8,000-15,000 the HCMC Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) had proposed last year.

There will also be a full-day ticket for VND22,000, three-day ticket for VND60,000 and one-month ticket for VND400,000.

MAUR said it has factored in bus fares and people’s average income to fix the fares.

While the city Department of Transport described the proposed fares as “reasonable,” it said the proposal is incomplete due to the lack of revenue and cost projections and discounts for elders, children and disabled people.

The 19.7-km Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Route will run between Districts 1 and 9.

It received its first train, with a capacity of 930 passengers, from Japan last month.

The construction of the line, partly elevated and partly underground, is expected to cost VND43.7 trillion ($1.89 billion).

The much-delayed construction began in August 2012, and work is now 76 percent complete.

The city hopes to complete 85 percent this year and begin commercial operations by the end of next year.

Six engineers arrived from Japan on September 18 and are now working on track installation.

The city plans to build eight metro lines running a total of 220 km.

By Gia Minh – VnExpress.net – November 10, 2020