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Many parking lots are no longer accepting reservations due to the surge in traffic during this year’s Lunar New Year. Photo: Vân Trang. |
During the Lunar New Year holiday, the demand for travel and visiting family has increased significantly. This is also the “money-making” time for many parking lots in Ho Chi Minh City that provide car storage services during the Tet season.
Full Reservation from the 28th day of December
According to observations by Tri Thuc – Znews, motorbike parking lots in downtown district of Ho Chi Minh City are divided into two popular types: indoor parking garages and partially covered parking lots. So far, when contacting these indoor or underground parking lots, staff members have confirmed that there are no available spots from the 28th day of December to the end of the 6th day of the Lunar New Year.
According to a staff member at a parking service in Tan Binh district, customers have booked 10-day parking slots from February 7th to February 17th. Particularly, all parking spots for automobiles are fully booked and no more cars can be accommodated. Only less than 10 motorcycles can be accepted during this Tet holiday.
“Parking spots for cars have been fully reserved until the end of the 6th day of the Lunar New Year, so we cannot accept more cars. However, we can still accept a small number of motorcycles for short-term parking at the motorbike parking lot,” the staff member added.
Mr. Hoang Bach (Ho Chi Minh City) said that he had contacted the familiar parking lot since the beginning of February in order to make a reservation. Underground parking facilities often reject cars with more than 7 seats due to space limitations, so the car owners have to choose parking at partially covered parking lots.
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Most parking lots are fully reserved during the Lunar New Year. Photo: Dan Thanh. |
“I took time off work early to visit my family in Hanoi, so I planned to park my car from the 27th day of December. I was only able to make a reservation in the partially covered parking area at the familiar parking lot. Other parking lots will leave the cars outside, which is cheaper, but I’m not reassured,” Mr. Bach shared.
Another parking lot in District 3 (Ho Chi Minh City) has also noted that it is fully booked due to pre-reservations since the beginning of February. Mr. Quoc Hung (Ho Chi Minh City), the owner of the parking lot, said that there are no parking spots available for cars with more than 7 seats and 16 seats. Although there are still vacant spots for motorcycles, it is expected that the spots will be fully occupied after February 7th due to the number of pre-booked customers.
“Currently, we are holding about 10 7-seat and 16-seat cars. Some other cars will be parked from the 28th day of the Lunar New Year, so it is anticipated that the parking lot will not be able to accept more cars. Due to the fact that employees will not take Tet holidays until the 25th day of the Lunar New Year, the motorcycle parking area is still available. However, we have received a large number of reservations, so the parking lot will adjust the reservation schedule after balancing the number of cars in the parking lot,” Mr. Hung added.
According to Mr. Hung, motorcycle parking lots often face congestion to save space and accommodate more vehicles. To avoid vehicle damage and scratches, customers should choose indoor motorcycle parking lots, covered or designated parking spaces.
Car Storing Fee Exceeds 120,000 Dong/Day
Before Tet, the parking fee at privately-owned parking lots ranges from 50,000 to 70,000 dong/day for cars with less than 16 seats. During Tet, the parking fees at all parking lots increase by 20-30%, and some places even double their usual fees.
According to a survey by Tri Thuc – Znews, at some partially covered parking lots in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, the parking fee for cars ranges from 100,000 to 120,000 dong/day. In particular, some parking lots have set their parking fees at 150,000 dong/day.
Meanwhile, the parking fee for motorcycles at parking lots has also slightly increased to around 15,000-20,000 dong/day. The parking fee for motorcycles at indoor parking lots ranges from 20,000 to 25,000 dong/day, equivalent to a 30% increase compared to normal days.
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The daily parking fee during Tet ranges from 100,000 to 120,000 dong. Photo: Dan Thanh. |
In an exchange with Tri Thuc – Znews, Mr. Duc Anh (Ho Chi Minh City), the owner of a private parking lot, said that the price increase during Tet is inevitable because this is the peak period with many additional expenses.
“During Tet, everyone wants to go out and travel, so the parking lot staff members have to work 24/7 to protect dozens of motorcycles and cars, which results in higher salaries and bonuses. The parking lot also needs to equip cooling systems, anti-theft systems, and keep the lights on continuously to ensure the safety of the vehicles. Therefore, it is inevitable that the parking fees increase during Tet,” Mr. Duc Anh added.
To support customers, many parking lots have implemented promotional packages for long-term customers. According to Mr. Duc Anh, if customers plan to travel far or leave the city for a long time, they should choose reputable transportation services that offer promotional packages for 5 or 10 days to save costs.
“If customers choose a 10-day package, they will receive a 10% discount on the total bill for motorcycles and a 15% discount for cars. This program is aimed at supporting drivers and staff members after a difficult year,” Mr. Duc Anh said.
Driving a Car During Tet to Save Parking Costs
Due to the high costs of transportation and parking, many families have chosen to drive their own cars to visit relatives during Tet as a solution to save expenses.
Mr. Le Hung (Go Vap, Ho Chi Minh City) shared with Tri Thuc – Znews his plan to drive the family car to Tien Giang province to celebrate Tet with his relatives there. The transportation and parking fees near his house are too high compared to his family’s budget. According to Mr. Hung, his family purchased a Kia Sorento in 2019 for ride-hailing purposes, and they don’t have a parking space. Therefore, they have been paying around 1.5 to 2 million dong per month for parking fees at a parking lot near their house.
This year, during the Lunar New Year holiday, Mr. Hung plans to drive his family to their hometown early to celebrate Tet and save money instead of leaving the car at the parking lot.
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Many families choose to drive their cars during Tet to save costs on airfare and parking fees at private parking lots. Photo: NVCC. |
“On normal days, parking fees are around 50,000-60,000 dong/day, but during Tet, the parking fees double. If the car is parked for about 2 weeks, we will lose nearly 2 million dong. This amount is too high compared to our current financial situation. Our house is in a deep alley with no parking spaces, so I decided to drive the whole family back to our hometown early to celebrate Tet,” Mr. Hung added.
Similarly, Mr. Van Khanh (Ho Chi Minh City), another ride-hailing driver, also chose to drive his family back to their hometown early for Tet instead of leaving the car at a parking lot. Mr. Khanh said that on February 6th, his family will depart from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Yen province to celebrate Tet with their relatives.
“If I leave the car at the parking lot, it will cost me about 1-2 million dong for 10 days. The round-trip airfare during Tet is about 3 million dong per person. All these costs are quite high compared to driving the car back to our hometown. Although the planned trip is long and tiring because I am the only one with a driving license, being able to take my wife and children back for an early Tet celebration will save a significant amount of money,” Mr. Van Khanh confirmed.
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