HCMC – The HCMC Department of Transport wrote to the HCMC People’s Committee today proposing banning sleeper buses from entering inner-city areas from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. from December 15.

The proposal comes as the city is struggling to deal with the rise in illegally established interprovincial bus stations in inner-city areas, which has led traffic congestion to worsen and bus service providers to abandon the city’s authorized bus stations.

Under the proposal, sleeper buses would not be allowed to enter the inner-city districts, with the off-limits area bound by National Highway 1, the streets of Nguyen Van Linh, Vo Chi Cong, Nguyen Thi Dinh, Dong Van Dong, Mai Chi Tho, and the Hanoi Highway.

The ban on this off-limits area has also been applicable to trucks since 2018.

However, sleeper buses would be permitted to travel on those roads without any time limitation and enter the Mien Dong and Mien Tay coach stations on the fixed routes regulated by the transport department.

Specifically, they must follow the National Highway 1 – National Highway 13 – Dinh Bo Linh Street route to enter and exit the Mien Dong Coach Station.

As for the Mien Tay Coach Station, sleeper buses would be allowed on the National Highway 1 – Kinh Duong Vuong Street route.

The HCMC Department of Transport will consider adjusting the time limitation for the sleeper bus ban in accordance with the current traffic situation.

Currently, HCMC has five inter-provincial coach stations, including the old Mien Dong, Mien Tay, An Suong, Nga Thu Ga and the new Mien Dong stations, with some 767 long-haul routes leading to 57 provinces and municipalities.