At the seminar (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – A seminar, themed “The role of bicycle transportation in the city – International experiment exchange and how to apply it in Vietnam”, took place on November 17 in Hanoi as part of the ongoing international exhibition Vietnam Cycle 2016.
The event showed the government’s interest in using bicycles in transportation development, said Vice Chairman of Vietnam cars, motorbikes and bicycles association Nguyen Huu Son.
At the seminar, Lionel Bayard, Export and Marketing Manager of France’s Peugeot Cycles shared the experience of the French government in encouraging citizens to use bicycles.
France reduced taxes for those who cycle to work, offered free bicycles or assistance on bicycle-used routes and required new buildings to provide parking for bicycles, he said.
A pilot project on public bicycles in Hanoi, called BK-BIKE, was introduced at the event.
Pham Tuan Hiep, Director of BK-BIKE project, said the project will pilot bicycle renting stations at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology in 2016.
It is expected to test replacing with motorbikes in the next two years with 1,500 bicycles and 50 public transport stations. The project will be expanded to Hanoi’s central districts with 400 stations and 12,000 bicycles in 2019 and 2020.
Nguyen Huy Tien, Deputy Head of Environment Department under the Ministry of Transport, suggested launching policies on upgrading infrastructure for bicycles and calling for investors.
Meanwhile, programmes and campaigns on using bicycles among the public should be implemented with government institutes as pioneers.-VNA
