Master's Tea Club #4: Should motorbikes be banned in Hanoi?

Regarding the question, "Should motorbikes be banned in Hanoi before 2020?", students shared differing viewpoints on the issue. Some argued that motorbikes have existed for a long time, long enough to become an integral part of the capital's transportation culture, making it difficult to completely eliminate them. Others agreed with the proposal to ban motorbikes, but felt that the timeframe before 2020 was too early, insufficient to fully develop public transportation infrastructure and establish new traffic habits for the people. Many benefits of banning motorbikes could be pointed out, such as reducing traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and traffic accidents. However, banning motorbikes would also mean sacrificing convenience in transportation, along with the disappearance of some transportation-related occupations such as motorbike taxis and delivery drivers.

Sharing the students' opinions, Professor Detlef Briesen stated that Hanoi's current traffic situation has many similarities to European cities several decades ago. Traffic congestion is widespread, leading to situations where walking is often faster than riding a motorbike or car on many small streets in Hoan Kiem district. Pedestrian space for Hanoi residents is severely limited due to narrow sidewalks, which are frequently occupied by parking spaces and small businesses. Most seriously, traffic awareness among Hanoi residents is poor; many drive recklessly and frequently violate traffic laws, resulting in numerous unfortunate traffic accidents.

Overview of the 4th meeting of Master's Tea Club - the English club for students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

However, Professor Detlef Briesen also noted that public transport infrastructure in the capital is changing, with the rapid emergence and development of various modes of transport such as BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), urban rail lines, etc. However, this is a very long development process, requiring considerable time and preparation in terms of human resources, materials, and funding, and cannot be rushed. Furthermore, the professor suggested several solutions to reduce traffic congestion and the use of private vehicles, which have been implemented in Western countries, such as limiting the number of cars on the road each day, restricting parking spaces, encouraging people to use public transport with preferential fares, and implementing car rental services. Professor Briesen also emphasized that, given the current traffic situation in Hanoi, restricting motorbikes may not be as effective a solution as restricting cars, which occupy several times more road space than motorbikes. Therefore, shouldn't we consider measures to enhance safety for motorcyclists, alongside limiting the number of cars on the road during peak hours?

At the end of the discussion, Professor Detlef Briesen and the students unanimously agreed that, to solve traffic problems in Hanoi, it is necessary to comprehensively improve both infrastructure and public awareness, with the human factor playing a crucial role. In addition, measures should be implemented to improve the quality of public transport services, as well as long-term development strategies, such as establishing satellite cities and applying new forms of work management through the Internet…