Hanoi launches digital multimodal transport pass with wide benefits for commuters
Hanoi’s new digital multimodal transport pass allows commuters to use buses and metro with a single card, saving time, reducing costs, and supporting the city’s smart mobility goals.
THE HANOI TIMES — The digitalization of public transport ticketing has made life more convenient for many in Hanoi by reducing management and ticketing costs.
Since late November 2023, the Hanoi Public Transport Management Center has been issuing a multimodal travel pass offering many advantages.
Nguyen Kim Thoa (right), a student at the Pedagogical University in Cau Giay Ward, holds her multimodal integrated ticket in hand. Photo: Anh Kiet/The Hanoi Times
The pass enables non-cash payments and online renewals. "I no longer have to stand in line for a physical monthly pass, which saves me a lot of time," said Nguyen Kim Thoa, a student at the Pedagogical University in Cau Giay Ward.
"I can use a single multimodal card for both buses and the metro," she added.
Echoing Thoa, Nguyen Manh Huy, her classmate, said: "I applied for a multimodal travel pass and received it three days later. The virtual version is very convenient because it is on my phone, and all I have to do is scan it when I get on the bus. I no longer have to worry about losing my ticket or leaving it at home."
According to the Hanoi Public Transport Management Center, the multimodal travel pass has been used more than 20 million times since its launch in November 2023.
The Hanoi bus system has issued over 135,000 e-tickets, including nearly 100,000 virtual tickets and 36,000 chip-embedded tickets. The number of e-tickets is expected to grow faster in the future, replacing traditional paper tickets.
A multimodal pass is scanned on a bus in Hanoi. Photo courtesy of the Hanoi Public Transport Management Center
Instead of standing in line to purchase a monthly pass for her fourteen-year-old daughter's commute to school, Hoang Thi Binh downloaded the app onto her daughter's cell phone. "I can renew the monthly pass online and track my daughter's travel history anytime, anywhere," she said.
Once registered, the multimodal pass app displays the user's photo, information, code, and expiration date on their phone. Passengers only need to carry a mobile phone with the app installed to ride the bus.
"It contributes to environmental protection by reducing paper waste, cutting costs for the state budget, and improving service quality and efficiency," Binh shared with The Hanoi Times.
A stride in service provision for passengers
According to Thai Ho Phuong, Director of the Hanoi Public Transport Management Center, the introduction of multimodal public transportation tickets has many advantages.
Thai Ho Phuong, Director of the Hanoi Public Transport Management Center. Photo: Anh Kiet/The Hanoi Times
"It's one of the steps in the digital transformation to improve the quality of public transportation services in the capital, and it makes travel passes interoperable among all types of public transportation," Phuong told The Hanoi Times.
A survey conducted by the center in late 2024 showed that most passengers and bus staff were satisfied with this type of ticket and expected Hanoi to expand it to the entire public transportation network.
A survey conducted by the center in late 2024 showed that most passengers and bus staff were satisfied with this type of ticket and expected Hanoi to expand the integrated system to cover the entire public transportation network, he said.
Phuong said that the ticketing plan will be developed in parallel with the city’s technical standards for its automatic fare collection (AFC) system. "This ensures system-wide integration and consistent application of digital technology to public transportation."
Once the pilot phase concludes, Hanoi plans to officially launch the multimodal ticketing system in September 2025, which will address the current fragmentation of automated ticketing across different transportation modes.
Nguyen Thi Dau (in light blue), a Hanoi bus staff member, helps an elderly passenger disembark from Bus No. 30. Photo: Anh Kiet/The Hanoi Times
Regarding service providers, Nguyen Thi Dau said that since the multimodal ticketing system was piloted, it has become easier for service staff like her to manage passengers.
"Each card is only linked to one phone and one account. If a passenger tries to use two accounts, the system will report an error, helping us control and prevent card fraud," said Dau, who works as a bus conductor assistant on line 30 (My Dinh station - Gamuda urban area).
There are distance- and time-based passes, which are valid for one day, one week, one month, or up to 12 months. These passes are for individual use and are activated on the first day of use. Monthly and long-term passes offer discounts to eligible priority groups.
"Over the past year, the multimodal pass has helped increase public transportation ridership, contributing to a reduction in the number of private vehicles in the city and curbing traffic congestion," Dau added.
