The Urban Board of the Hanoi People's Council recently reported on a survey regarding parking facilities and the transition to green transportation in nine wards located within Ring Road 1, including: Ba Dinh, Cua Nam, Giang Vo, Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem, Ngoc Ha, O Cho Dua, Tay Ho, and Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam.

Hanoi has approximately 6,9 million motorbikes, with 450,000 of them concentrated within Ring Road 1. Examining individual wards, Hoan Kiem records the highest number of motorbikes with 89,000, followed by Tay Ho with 81,000, Giang Vo with 67,000, Ngoc Ha with 65,000, and Hai Ba Trung with 63,000. Wards with an average number of motorbikes include Ba Dinh with 49,000 and Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam with 35,000. Cua Nam and O Cho Dua have the fewest motorbikes, with 6,000 and 2,700 respectively.

Regarding fuel type, gasoline-powered motorbikes are dominant, accounting for 94-97% of the total motorbike fleet. Electric motorbikes are present in all wards, but their numbers are limited, ranging from 1,000 to 3,500 vehicles per ward, making up 3-6%.

Motorbikes still dominate the capital's streets. Photo: Pham Chieu

For cars, gasoline-fueled vehicles constitute 75-80%, while diesel vehicles make up 15-40%. Electric cars account for only 2-6% of the total vehicle count, and hybrid cars are almost negligible.

The overwhelming number of gasoline-powered motorbikes and cars presents a significant challenge for the city in establishing low-emission zones. According to the proposed plan, from 1/7-31/12, residents will be prohibited from operating gasoline motorbikes in the core Hoan Kiem area during weekend hours. This restriction will gradually expand to cover the entire Ring Road 1 by 1/1/2028.

The Urban Board attributed the dominance of gasoline motorbikes to several factors: a lack of robust financial policies, uncoordinated charging station infrastructure, and the absence of specific preferential mechanisms for electricity and charging prices for green transportation. Currently, only 19,5% of residents utilize public transport, while the habit of using personal gasoline vehicles remains widespread due to their flexibility and convenience.

The Urban Board recommended that the city People's Committee promptly issue financial support policies and tax incentives for registration and license plate issuance for green vehicles. Concurrently, it urged the acceleration of the low-emission zone project and the development of a clear, transparent vehicle conversion roadmap to foster public and business consensus.

Moc Mien