Over the past few days, a multitude of people returning to their hometowns from the South on motorbikes have seen travelling through Da Nang in unfavourble weather conditions.

Understanding the hardship of the returnees during their unprecedented home trip, a number of volunteer groups in Da Nang have taken the initiative to provide so-called zero-dong coaches to facilitate a safe return to home for the returnees.

Da Nang pledges to create the most favourable conditions for volunteer groups to bring people back to their hometown safely and thoughtfully. In the photo: A free coach carries people back home to Nghe An Province in the afternoon of October 9.

Giving a helping hand to returnees

As hastily packing up his luggage in preparation for his return journey to Nghe An Province by a free coach provided by volunteer groups in Da Nang, Mr. Dang Xuan Luc who have worked in Binh Duong Province could not hide his joy behind his medical protective clothing.

Mr. Luc said “I started my journey back home from October 7. I was exhausted after driving thousands of km in the rain and wind weather, but fortunately, my journey was made much less exhausting thanks to the kind-heartedness of many people along the way. Everywhere I pass through, I also get full support from the local authorities and citizens from food, drinking water and raincoats to gasoline”.

He also expressed his happiness about free coaches to bring such returnees like him home. “I am very grateful to the Da Nang government, volunteer groups and generous sponsors for offering us a coach ride home” added Mr. Luc.

Being Mr Luc’s compatriot, Mr. Lang Dinh Giang and his wife smiled happily behind the masks as hearing that they were provided with a free coach home ride.

Mr. Giang works as a bricklayer, and his wife is a garment worker, both in Ho Chi Minh City. Having been unemployed for a few months due to the impact of COVDI-19 and having no money left, the couple decided to ride a motorbike from HCMC to their hometown. The one-month-old baby boy also follows his parents on the trans-Viet Nam long journey.

“We are really touched by the city’s free coach services for the returnees from the South, which make us, especially my son who is too young to travel long distances, feel secure and safe during unprecedented home trip” said Mr. Giang.

Lt Col Pham Hong Hai, Head of the Traffic Police Station at the Hoa Nhon Gate checkpoint under the city’s Traffic Police Department, said that, in recent days, traffic police have coordinated with functional bodies to lead the way for the returnees to pass through the Hai Van Tunnel safely.

Also, functional bodies have provided transit services for hundreds of motorcycles and their riders through the tunnel.

According to Mr. Tran Dinh Quoc Khuong, leader of the Da Nang Young Volunteers Group, five 45-seater buses operate daily to bring people back to their hometowns in northern localities from Nghe An Province to Ha Noi.

"In light of the complicated developments of COVID-19, coaches must carry a maximum of 30 passengers onboard. Meanwhile, all passengers are required to strictly follow disease prevention and control measures, including having their body temperatures measured before getting on/off the vehicles, wearing face coverings, and cleaning their hands during their return journey" Mr Khuong remarked.

Special and humanitarian rides

Da Nang’s functional bodies providing food and drinks for people who pass through the city on their way home from the South

In addition to the Da Nang Young Volunteers Group, the ‘Ban Thuong Nhau’ Club also provides free rides to bring migrants who leave COVID-struck southern localities amid pandemic crisis back to their hometown with pregnant women, children and the elderly being given priority.

From funding sources appealed from generous donors, the aforementioned volunteer groups have afforded more than 50 free bus trips for returnees who travel through Da Nang on their way home from the South.

Before getting on the bus, all passengers are required to undergo rapid antigen tests and wear protective gear throughout the journey. If a person tests positive for SARS-CoV-2, he/she will undergo mandatory quarantine in line with the city’s regulations. The volunteers also provide snacks along the way for these passengers.

The ‘Ban Thuong Nhau’ Club’s leader Nguyen Binh Nam said that in recent days, many families carrying children have been seen riding motorbikes to their hometown, especially to Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang and other mountainous northern localities.

The erratic and extreme weather with significant fluctuations in sunshine and rainfall has made returnees’ home journeys become more and more difficult. That's why the group came up with the idea of ​​providing free "home rides" so as to reduce the hardship for people. The group began to call for benefactors via social media to support the rental fees of passenger coaches and trucks to help bring these people back to their hometowns in the North from October 8-10.

Up to now, the club has mobilized eight 45-seater passenger coaches and a number of trucks to send migrant workers back to their hometowns.

Chief of Office of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Ha Nam said the municipal authorities have coordinated with the two volunteer groups to arrange transport to send returnees from the South back to their hometowns with absolute priority given to strictly complying with the city’s pandemic prevention and control requirements. Most specifically, drivers returning to Da Nang must comply with regulations applicable to all arrivals to the city.

Since October 8, the city's Da Nang Fatherland Front Committee, the Red Cross Society and the Youth Union have deployed their forces to give active support to people who go through the Hai Van Tunnel on their way home from the Southern localities.

"Da Nang always creates favorable conditions for volunteer groups to send all returnees from the South passing through the city back to their hometowns safely," Mr Nam emphasized.

Reporting by XUAN DUNG, XUAN SON - Translating by M.D