Ho Chi Minh City students struggle when bus 33 leaves Dormitory Area B station

(Dan Tri) - Normally, students at Dormitory B only have to travel one way from the dormitory to school, but now, after the bus route has stopped, they have to travel two ways and wait for more than an hour.

The arduous journey to school

For over a month, bus route number 33 (An Suong Bus Station - Mien Dong Bus Station) has stopped stopping at Dormitory B, Ho Chi Minh City National University, turning the journey to school for students into a difficult challenge.

Especially when the new school year begins, commuting to school during rush hour becomes a daily nightmare, especially for those who have morning classes.

Like the story of Nhung Ngo, a second-year student at the University of Agriculture and Forestry, even though her class schedule is only at 1 p.m. and the distance is 5 km, Nhung still has to go to the station (stop) at 11 a.m. to queue.

Instead of just 30 minutes of travel like before, Nhung had to spend an hour just waiting and squeezing onto the bus. That short journey became a hardship that lasted for hours.

“Now I have to go around: take bus 53 to area A, then wait for bus 33 to get to school. The waiting time is longer, many days I have to go out an hour early to make sure I have a seat,” Nhung shared.

Not only Nhung, many students in dormitory B are also in the same situation. Every morning, around 6:30-7:00, hundreds of students crowd both the front and back gates of the dormitory to wait for the bus.

This situation repeated itself at noon. Many buses 53 and 99 were already packed, leaving students helpless as they watched the buses leave.

Although class doesn't start until 1 p.m., two hours before, students were already at the bus stop waiting for the bus (Photo: Phuong Thao).

Many times the bus arriving at the station is full, so students have to wait for the next bus (Photo: Phuong Thao).

The reason for this is that from August 1, 5 bus routes in Ho Chi Minh City, including route 33, will adjust their routes to connect to major bus stations, train stations and remove some stops.

Bus route 33 has its end point moved to National University Station A instead of National University Dormitory B. The reason for the adjustment is to create a stable end point and re-plan the public transport network in the National University urban area.

Pay more or suffer the crowds?

Many tired students still accept to stand on the bus, because there is almost no more convenient option. Others, especially new students, choose to spend extra money to use technology taxis to be on time for class.

Thu Huong, a first-year student at the University of Economics and Law, shared: “As a new student, I am not used to the crowded bus scene, it is very difficult to get a seat.

If I wait forever and still can’t get on the bus, I’ll be late for school, so many days I have to book a ride-hailing service to get to school. Even though it costs many times more than a bus ticket of 3,000 VND/trip, at least I’m sure of the time.”

To get to school on time, some students choose to take ride-hailing vehicles to school (Photo: Phuong Thao).

If getting to school is difficult, the situation after school is no better. Previously, routes 33, 53 and 99 all stopped at Dormitory B, but even then, students often encountered jostling and overloading.

Now that route 33 no longer returns to the station, all the pressure is put on routes 53 and 99, making the congestion even more serious.

Nhu Hoai, a third-year student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, shared: “Previously, I took bus 33 from school to the dormitory because it was usually more spacious. Now the bus no longer stops, I have to take bus 53 which is already very crowded. Many days I have to wait 2-3 times to get on.”

After school hours, bus 53 is overloaded and becomes the main alternative for students in dormitory area B (Photo: Phuong Thao).

Notably, bus route 33 used to operate later than many other routes, often running until 9pm. This used to be a familiar choice for students with long schedules of studying, working part-time or participating in club activities. The fact that bus 33 no longer stops at station B makes many students confused about their time arrangements.

Minh Thu, a second-year student at the University of Information Technology, said: “I often participate in club activities until around 9 p.m. Before, there was always bus 33 to take me back to area B, which was very convenient. Now that the bus is gone, I have to go home earlier to catch other routes, otherwise the only way is to take a ride on a ride-hailing app.”

In fact, with about 20,000 students living in dormitory area B, the need to travel by bus every day is very large. Bus 33 is one of the main routes, connecting dormitory area B with many universities in Ho Chi Minh City National University and the city center areas.

The route adjustment, skipping the stop right in front of the dormitory, has unintentionally "pushed" many students into a passive situation in traveling.

Not only does it cost more, many students also complain that having to take many consecutive buses prolongs travel time, affecting their health and study schedule.

Some people said that if this situation continues, they will have to consider other options, even moving out for more convenience.

Speaking to Dan Tri reporter, the leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Center said that the unit has grasped the situation and is mobilizing, arranging vehicles, and coming up with a solution. It is expected that the solution will be announced today.

Phuong Thao

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/sinh-vien-tphcm-chat-vat-khi-xe-buyt-33-bo-tram-ky-tuc-xa-khu-b-20250912072359580.htm