There is a little-known \"catch\" to the free rides on 134 city bus routes that Ho Chi Minh City began on July 1. The rides are free through the end of the year, but it is a two-stage setup: from July to September you simply board, while from October you must verify your identity each time you ride using VNeID or an ID card (reported June 23, 2026, by VnExpress, Tuoi Tre, and others). For people living in or staying long-term in Vietnam, what you do during the \"prep period\" through the end of September will change how smoothly you ride from October on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The schedule released by the city's transport authorities clearly splits into two phases. Phase 1 runs from July 1 to September 30, during which no passenger registration or identity verification is required at all. Anyone can wait at a stop and simply board, with no fare. This much has been reported already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What changes is the second phase, October 1 to December 31. It remains free, but identity verification will be required for each ride. The verification methods cited by authorities include the chip-embedded national ID card (CCCD), an account on the national integrated app VNeID, a bank card, an e-wallet, and the bus app MultiGo, among others. In short, it shifts to a format where \"you have the machine read who you are before boarding.\" The full picture of the free buses is covered inAn article summarizing how 134 routes became free from July<\/a>, so here we focus on the practical side of the verification requirement starting in October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a reason for placing a three-month run-up rather than starting abruptly in October. According to authorities, this preparation period is positioned as a time to get citizens used to using buses while building out the passenger database, the technical infrastructure, and the e-ticketing system. In other words, going free is not merely a zero-fare campaign but also a mechanism for shifting from paper ticket books and cash to e-tickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By inserting identity verification, the city can accurately grasp \"how many people, on which routes, and when.\" The free program is expected to draw roughly 665 billion dong from the city budget for the second half of the year (about 3.9 billion yen at 10,000 dong \u2248 about 59 yen), and since tax money is involved, making usage visible is unavoidable. For riders, the verification from October is an extra step, but it is strongly about laying the groundwork to keep the program going.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy bring in verification partway through<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What changes by phase<\/h2>\n\n\n\n