Vietnam wants to severely restrict motorcycle traffic in the metropolises

They not only characterize the streetscape, but also the background noise of Vietnamese cities: no other means of transport is as popular with the locals as the colourful, rattling motorbikes. However, the government wants to significantly reduce their number.

The government in Vietnam wants to relieve the chronically congested streets by the end of the decade and drastically limit the number of motorcycles in the country’s metropolises.

The authorities in the five largest cities of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho have been instructed to largely ban the rattling two-wheelers from the streets in many districts by 2030, the state-run newspaper VnExpress reported “. In the future, the focus should be on public transport, and a congestion fee is also planned.

In the cities of Southeast Asia, many main roads are chronically congested with old buses, tuk tuks and millions of motorcycles. The resulting traffic jams, as well as air and noise pollution, have a significant impact on the quality of life in metropolitan areas.

Almost 6 million motorcycles in Hanoi

In December, the authorities in the capital Hanoi announced a plan to ban motorcycles from the central districts from 2025. There are currently an estimated 5.7 million exhaust gas canisters in the metropolis. The first line of the new subway network went into operation in November, but has so far been little used.

Motorcycles are like a “staple food” for many Vietnamese, said Linh Pham, editor of a culture magazine in Hanoi, the German Press Agency. “It’s not just a means of transportation, but for many it’s also part of their income.” Like many of his fellow citizens, Linh believes that the dominance of motorcycles will only end when significantly more public transport becomes available, there are better sidewalks – or the two-wheelers be completely banned.