Ho Chi Minh City authorities Tuesday postponed an option to increase bus fares to cope with the recent fuel price hikes and instead agreed to increase subsidies for the public transportation service.

The HCMC People’s Committee will pour an additional VND122 billion (US$7.7 million) in the near future to financially assist bus services, said Truong Van Lam, head of the office of the committee.

The Department of Transportation and Public Works had recently requested the city to permit a raise in bus fares after fuel price climbed to nearly VND15,000 ($0.95) per liter last month.