People line up at vehicle restoration shop in District 5 to get their cars upgraded and repaired before Tet. — Photo nld.com.vn

With Tet (Lunar New Year) approaching, many car owners in HCM City have lined up at vehicle restoration shops to repair and upgrade their vehicles.

People like Dao Ngoc Anh of Thu Duc City do this every year at this time.

“I know it will be very crowded at the end of the year, but I still decided to have the car repaired and upgraded now to make it look at its best during Tet,” Nguoi Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper quoted him as saying.

Dinh Dung Tuan, owner of a vehicle restoration shop on An Duong Vuong Street, District 5, said the number of customers who come to have their car fixed is two or three times higher than during normal days.

At the end of this week the number could increase much further, he said.

“Over the week, my staff had to work overtime.”

The services that car owners request now include retouching scratches, painting, nano or vinyl wrapping, and cleaning of interiors.

They can also choose service packages at various prices.

A basic package with five to seven services can cost VND5 million to VND8 million (US$215 to US$345), and a standard package with more than 10 services, from VND10 million to VND20 million (US$ 431 to US$862).

They are 10-20 per cent higher than normal.

Tran Van Binh, owner of a vinyl car wrap shop on Tran Binh Trong Street in District 5, explained that prices are up because he has to pay 1.5-2 times his workers’ normal salary. — VNS