Every Lunar New Year, as many students look forward to returning home to reunite with their families, a familiar concern remains: where should they leave their motorbikes during the extended holiday? For students from Central Vietnam, Northern Vietnam, the Central Highlands, or provinces far from Ho Chi Minh City, riding a motorbike home is often impractical, while leaving it at a rented room for an extended period carries risks of theft or damage. From this very practical concern, HUIT's free motorbike parking program during the Lunar New Year was established.
The idea was proposed by Mr. Tran Nguyen Phuong, Head of the Security Team, to the leaders of the Department of Organization and Administration for submission to the University's Board of Presidents. After considering the practical significance of the initiative, the President of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade approved its implementation.
The 2026 Lunar New Year marked the first year of the program, during which the University received 534 motorbikes from students. The University did not impose a limit on the number of vehicles accepted, instead organizing the service based on the actual needs of learners.
The program is exclusively available to HUIT students and accepts only gasoline-powered motorbikes, excluding electric bicycles and electric motorbikes. Students can leave their motorbikes approximately one week before the Lunar New Year holiday and are allowed to collect them up to one week after the scheduled holiday period. All vehicles are parked and secured free of charge in the basements of Buildings A and B at 140 Le Trong Tan Street, Tay Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
A strict parking procedure is implemented to ensure the safety of students' property. When leaving their vehicles, students complete the required procedures at the Security Office at the main gate and present a valid student ID card, Citizen ID card, and vehicle registration for verification. Students are also required not to leave personal belongings or valuables in the vehicle or under the seat, and to avoid leaving an excessive amount of fuel in the tank to minimize the risk of fire or explosion. In case of assistance, students can contact the Security Office directly or reach Mr. Phuong at 0937.735.772.
Few people realize that behind this convenience are the highly responsible Lunar New Year shifts undertaken by the University's security personnel. On ordinary days, vehicles continuously enter and leave the campus according to class schedules. During the Lunar New Year, however, hundreds of vehicles remain parked for an extended period. Security personnel must regularly patrol the area, inspect the condition of the vehicles, protect them from dust, prevent rodents from damaging electrical wiring, promptly detect potential fuel leaks, and, most importantly, maintain 24/7 fire prevention and firefighting operations.
Even on the first and second days of the Lunar New Year, when many people are gathering with their families, security officers and staff remain on duty at the University to protect students' property.
Sharing his experience of working during the Lunar New Year holiday, Mr. Tran Nguyen Phuong said: “We security officers are just like everyone else. During the Lunar New Year, we all hope to return home and reunite with our families. But when students have trusted the University with their property, that also becomes a responsibility that we must do our best to fulfill. During the holiday, there are days when the campus is very quiet, but we still take turns staying on duty, checking the parking areas, inspecting fire prevention and firefighting measures, and monitoring the condition of the vehicles. Just thinking that students can return home with peace of mind, without worrying about where their motorbikes are or whether they are safe, makes our Lunar New Year shifts very meaningful".
Mr. Tran Nguyen Phuong, Head of the Security Team, sharing his thoughts about the program
What is particularly noteworthy is that the value of the program lies not only in providing 534 free parking spaces. If the cost of parking at external facilities is estimated at approximately VND 200,000–400,000 per motorbike during the Lunar New Year holiday, the total value of the support provided to students could reach hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong, estimated at nearly VND 200 million.
It can be said that the University and its security personnel have chosen not to place fee collection above students' interests. For security personnel whose monthly incomes are not high, the figure of nearly VND 200 million is even more significant when converted into the equivalent value of a paid parking service. Rather than viewing the motorbikes as a source of revenue, however, the security officers see them as 534 vehicles entrusted to the University by students before they return home to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Behind this support are also the time, effort, and holiday days that the security team dedicates to students. Some officers have had to temporarily put aside precious moments of family reunion, taking turns staying on campus and checking every area and every vehicle to ensure that, when students return, their motorbikes remain in the same condition as when they were left.
According to Mr. Phuong, the greatest significance of the program lies not only in safely safeguarding students' vehicles but also in the practical value it provides to them. Each student can save approximately VND 200,000–400,000 compared with parking at private facilities or paying additional parking-related costs to landlords during the Lunar New Year month. For many students, particularly those facing financial difficulties, this is a meaningful expense to save.
More importantly, the program provides peace of mind for students from distant regions such as Central Vietnam, Northern Vietnam, the Central Highlands, and other provinces and cities where traveling home by motorbike is not convenient. Leaving a vehicle at a rented room for an extended period can cause students to worry about theft, forced entry, or damage. Being able to leave their motorbikes at the University, under the regular protection and supervision of the security team, allows students to return home with greater peace of mind.
“For us, keeping a motorbike safe also means contributing to a student's peace of mind so that they can enjoy the Lunar New Year with their family. We hope this activity will continue so that more HUIT students can receive this support,” Mr. Phuong shared.
Building on the effectiveness of the program and the positive feedback received during its first year, HUIT will continue to maintain the free Lunar New Year motorbike parking program in the coming years. The initiative will provide favorable conditions for students, particularly those from distant provinces, to return home and celebrate the Lunar New Year with their families without having to worry about their personal vehicles.
The 534 motorbikes kept safe during the 2026 Lunar New Year also represent 534 expressions of trust that students placed in the University. Behind these numbers are the dedication, responsibility, and quiet shifts undertaken by HUIT's security team.
A seemingly simple initiative, yet one that clearly reflects the spirit of sharing and the University's care for its learners, contributing to the image of a “Happy University” where students are not only provided with opportunities to learn but are also cared for and supported through the most familiar and practical aspects of student life.
Center for Communications and Media