Vietnamese Transportation

What are the main modes of transportation in Vietnam?

by Konishi Yuna

In Vietnam, almost people use various transportation such as motorcycle, car or bus for commuting or attending school everyday. There are many kinds of transportation, but these are often used. Also, these have many characteristics that are different from Japan. In this article, I will show you three major public transport.

Motorcycle

In Vietnam, almost people use motorcycles for transportation. More than 80% of people have a motorcycle. A road is covered with a lot of motorcycles. You will be overwhelmed by the number of motorcycles when going to Vietnam. Even almost high school students use a motorcycle for commuting school because no license required for motorcycles of 50cc or less. It is common for five family members to get on a motorcycle together or carry large luggage. However, motorcycles are convenient for living in Vietnam because they can be useful, but accidents including fatal accidents are daily and dangerous, so caution is required when riding. The reason why motorcycles are popular is that public transportation such as trains and buses is not as well developed as in Japan. In addition, car price is high. That is why motorcycles are popular as a means of transportation in Vietnam. Motorcycles have become a must for Vietnamese people.

Taxi, Car

In Vietnam, taxis are also often used. Vietnam has a population of about 90 million, which is almost the same as that of Japan, but the car ownership is only 3% because cars are super luxury. For example, the tax is 100%, so even if you buy a car for 3 million yen, the tax will be 3 million yen and you will need 6 million yen total. Thus, taxis are often used. Also, there is a motorcycle taxi called “Theom”. It is the easiest way to get around, even if you do not have a bike or car. In addition, it is very cheap wages. In Vietnam, where trains do not run through the city, taxis or Theom are the main means of transportation.

Bus

Motorcycles are the main means of transportation for Vietnamese people, but bus travel is the main method for long-distance travel. The appeal of local buses is that wages are very cheap, and there are 107 buses operating in Ho Chi Minh City. Many lines run every 5 to 20 minutes. Sometimes, the bus does not stop completely when getting on and off. In addition, there is no button for getting off like Japanese buses. Therefore, you should be careful when going to Vietnam. When getting on the seat and get on the seat, the conductor will come and pay wages. The number of route bus users is about 300 million.