As the academic year kicks off, students living in the dormitory area of the National University of Ho Chi Minh City are experiencing significant challenges commuting to their classes. With buses overflowing, many students are forced to use ride-hailing services, often at much higher prices than usual.

On the morning of September 8, students lined up at bus stops near the dormitory as early as 6:20 AM, only to find that buses were already full. Minh Nguyet, a freshman at the International University, expressed her surprise at the overwhelming number of students waiting for buses, stating that by that time, it was nearly impossible to find a spot on the bus. "Five buses passed by, and only one managed to take a few students. Everyone had to squeeze in as much as possible," she shared.

Another student, Tran Tien Dat, a third-year student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, noted that buses have been skipping stops due to their inability to take on more passengers. To ensure they arrive on time for classes, many students have turned to ride-hailing services, which typically cost between 20,000 to 25,000 VND for a trip. However, during peak hours, prices can skyrocket to between 50,000 to 70,000 VND.

Dat, who has been using buses since his freshman year, remarked, "Back then, it was crowded, but not to the point of skipping stops. Now, if you want to catch a bus, you have to be there by 5:40 AM; otherwise, you’ll be waiting a long time, especially for routes 53 and 99." This ongoing issue has been exacerbated since the adjustment of bus route 33 last September, which no longer stops at the dormitory area, forcing students to change their schedules.

Despite the addition of bus route 60-5 to connect the dormitory with various university campuses, the situation remains dire, particularly during peak hours at the start of the school year. On social media platforms, students have expressed their frustration over the long wait times for buses and have called for an increase in bus frequency to make commuting more convenient and cost-effective.

Currently, there are 12 bus routes that connect directly to the National University of Ho Chi Minh City, including routes 8, 10, 19, 33, 50, 52, 53, 60-5, 99, 166, 170, and 61-77. Among these, routes 53, 99, and 60-5 pass by the dormitory area, but the demand continues to outstrip supply.