Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Hanoi is mulling two different options to restrict theuse of motorbikes in the city before the 2030 ban.
The planwas discussed at a conference on October 25 hosted by the municipal Departmentof Transport on zoning to limit motorbikes and improve public transport.
Pham AnhTuen, a representative of the Transport Development and Strategy Institute(TDSI) under the Ministry of Transport, said from 2011 to 2018, the number ofmotorbikes increased by 6.7 percent.
“With thesame number of carried passengers, the street area occupied by motorbikes is6.8 times higher than buses,” said Tuan.
The instituteoffered options to limit motorbikes on the capital's roads based on districtsand traffic beltways.
In thefirst option, motorbikes will be restricted in 12 urban districts includingHoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung, Ba Dinh and five rural districts of Gia Lam, Dong Anh,Hoai Duc, Thanh Tri and Dan Phuong from 2030.
Some 4.74million people, 52 percent of the city’s population, are expected to beimpacted.
Theoption has some shortcomings including difficulties in organising traffic flow,building parking lots and transit stations.
Thesecond option based on beltways has been implemented in Singapore, London andChina’s Guangzhou, according to TDSI.
Amongfive beltway roads of Hanoi that will be constructed by 2030, beltway road No.3meets all standards to apply a motorbike ban.
“This isa closed belt with wide cross section eight to ten lanes. Some sections areurban highways which can divide traffic flow," said Tuan.
It ispossible to build parking lots, transit stations and other supporting servicesnear the road, he added.
TDSIrecommended Hanoi ban motorbikes only when the public transport system cansatisfy at least 60.5 percent of travel demand.
Some haveproposed a motorbike restriction by hours on certain days and streets. Hanoicould also ban motorbikes by expanding pedestrian areas.
In otherareas, motorbikes could only be restricted from 6am to 10pm and replaced bypublic transport.
“Toachieve this goal, by 2030, Hanoi needs eight urban metro routes, 200 busroutes, 35,000 cabs, more than 50,000 contract cars, 20 mini bus routes andsome 10,000 public bicycles,” said Tuan.
Vu ThiVinh, former secretary of the Vietnam Association of Cities, cited China’sGuangzhou as an example of gradual motorbike banning to avoid disputes.
“In 16years, city authorities raised awareness of people about the policy, restrictednew motorbike registration, banned motorbikes on some streets, stoppedout-of-town motorbikes from entering the city and eventually completelyprohibited all motorbikes and destroyed old ones,” said Vinh.
Since Hanoi’smost severe traffic hotspot is in the western area, Vinh recommended first implementingthe ban on Nguyen Trai, To Huu and Le Van Luong streets.
Vu Van Vien, Director of the Hanoi Department of Transport, highly appreciatedthese opinions.
“Thepublic transport system needs improving to serve 80 percent of the city’spopulation by 2030 with a transit station 500m away from a residential area,”he said./.
The planwas discussed at a conference on October 25 hosted by the municipal Departmentof Transport on zoning to limit motorbikes and improve public transport.
Pham AnhTuen, a representative of the Transport Development and Strategy Institute(TDSI) under the Ministry of Transport, said from 2011 to 2018, the number ofmotorbikes increased by 6.7 percent.
“With thesame number of carried passengers, the street area occupied by motorbikes is6.8 times higher than buses,” said Tuan.
The instituteoffered options to limit motorbikes on the capital's roads based on districtsand traffic beltways.
In thefirst option, motorbikes will be restricted in 12 urban districts includingHoan Kiem, Hai Ba Trung, Ba Dinh and five rural districts of Gia Lam, Dong Anh,Hoai Duc, Thanh Tri and Dan Phuong from 2030.
Some 4.74million people, 52 percent of the city’s population, are expected to beimpacted.
Theoption has some shortcomings including difficulties in organising traffic flow,building parking lots and transit stations.
Thesecond option based on beltways has been implemented in Singapore, London andChina’s Guangzhou, according to TDSI.
Amongfive beltway roads of Hanoi that will be constructed by 2030, beltway road No.3meets all standards to apply a motorbike ban.
“This isa closed belt with wide cross section eight to ten lanes. Some sections areurban highways which can divide traffic flow," said Tuan.
It ispossible to build parking lots, transit stations and other supporting servicesnear the road, he added.
TDSIrecommended Hanoi ban motorbikes only when the public transport system cansatisfy at least 60.5 percent of travel demand.
Some haveproposed a motorbike restriction by hours on certain days and streets. Hanoicould also ban motorbikes by expanding pedestrian areas.
In otherareas, motorbikes could only be restricted from 6am to 10pm and replaced bypublic transport.
“Toachieve this goal, by 2030, Hanoi needs eight urban metro routes, 200 busroutes, 35,000 cabs, more than 50,000 contract cars, 20 mini bus routes andsome 10,000 public bicycles,” said Tuan.
Vu ThiVinh, former secretary of the Vietnam Association of Cities, cited China’sGuangzhou as an example of gradual motorbike banning to avoid disputes.
“In 16years, city authorities raised awareness of people about the policy, restrictednew motorbike registration, banned motorbikes on some streets, stoppedout-of-town motorbikes from entering the city and eventually completelyprohibited all motorbikes and destroyed old ones,” said Vinh.
Since Hanoi’smost severe traffic hotspot is in the western area, Vinh recommended first implementingthe ban on Nguyen Trai, To Huu and Le Van Luong streets.
Vu Van Vien, Director of the Hanoi Department of Transport, highly appreciatedthese opinions.
“Thepublic transport system needs improving to serve 80 percent of the city’spopulation by 2030 with a transit station 500m away from a residential area,”he said./.
VNA
