This year, Hanoi authorities decided to allow students to enjoy Tet holiday a week earlier in face with the complicated development of Covid-19.

In previous years, coach stations in the city were packed with thousands of passengers from early morning until late afternoon. This year the situation is contrary.

There were not many passengers at My Dinh coach station on February 8, three days before Tet.

Director of My Dinh coach station Ly Truong Son told VietNamNet: "It has never been like this before. Our coach station used to serve 6,000-8,000 passengers a day. But now, during the Tet season we have only 3,000-4,000 passengers/day, even less. The number of buses in operation reaches only 40-50%.” 

Due to the epidemic, many people have chosen other means of transport rather than public vehicles to return home for Tet. 

Mr. Bach Huy Thanh told VietNamNet that this year he hired a car to take his family back to his hometown in the central province of Nghe An, instead of using bus service as in previous years. 

Mr. Do Linh whose hometown is in Tuyen Quang province said he sent baggage home by bus and would drive a motorbike to go home.

At My Dinh coach station

Hanoi's traffic is unusually clear, even during peak hours   Many streets that are frequently congested in Hanoi such as Nguyen Trai, Tran Duy Hung, Lang, Tay Son were clear on Feb. 8 morning.

Traffic on Nguyen Trai Street in Thanh Xuan District, which used to be in traffic jams, on February 7.

The belt road with not many vehicles.

Doan Bong-Huu Thang

Animated Hanoi preparing for Tet

Pre-Tet days are the most colourful time of Hanoi when the capital changes its coat into a new vital color of spring and joy.

HCM City: Quiet coach station, airport several days before Tet

Different from the previous years, HCM City’s Mien Dong coach station and Tan Son Nhat International Airport have been very quiet these days due to impacts of the ongoing Covid-19 outbreaks.