To reduce environmental pollution, from 2025, Hanoi will choose Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem districts as a pilot to limit cars and motorbikes running on gasoline and diesel. This raises concerns about how people will travel in the future?
The Hanoi People's Council has voted to pass a Resolution on regulations for implementing low emission zones in the capital.
The resolution sets out a roadmap for implementing low-emission zones divided into two phases. Phase 1, from 2025-2030, will pilot the establishment of a low-emission zone in an area in Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh districts; localities are encouraged to establish low-emission zones.
From 2031 onwards, areas in the city that have one of the criteria for low emission zones must comply with the provisions of the resolution.
How will people living and working in low emission zones be supported to switch from fossil fuel-based transport to clean energy, zero-emission transport?
We look forward to receiving feedback from readers, managers, and research experts about practical experiences, lessons learned, and proposed new solutions to this pressing issue.
According to the assessment of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the level of air pollution has increased to an alarming level in the past 10 years, concentrated in large cities such as Hanoi. In particular, the main air pollution parameter today is fine dust with a size smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM 2.5).
Director of the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment Le Thanh Nam said that the main source of on-site air pollution in Hanoi is road dust and road vehicles, accounting for about 58-74% depending on the time. Of the sources of emissions from vehicles, motorbikes account for the most, followed by taxis.
Mr. Nam said that as of August 2024, the city has more than 8 million road vehicles (nearly 1.13 million cars, more than 6.9 million motorbikes). “Motorbikes that have been used for more than 10 years account for 72.58%, increasing the level of toxic emissions into the air,” he said.
Faced with the above issue, on December 12, the Hanoi People's Council passed a resolution regulating 'low emission zones'. Accordingly, from 2025, Hanoi will begin piloting the establishment of 'low emission zones' in an area in Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh districts.
Accordingly, this area only allows vehicles that do not emit exhaust fumes and motor vehicles that use clean energy to circulate in the low emission zone. The resolution restricts or prohibits cars and motorbikes that do not meet emission standards from circulating in the low emission zone according to the time frame.
Need a roadmap to help people feel less shocked
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Minh (working in Hoan Kiem district) said that the inner city districts of Hanoi are increasingly seriously polluted, so measures to limit cars and motorbikes using gasoline and oil operating in some areas of Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh districts are necessary.
However, according to Mr. Minh, in order for people living and working in Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh districts not to be shocked by the establishment of a 'low emission zone', Hanoi needs to come up with a specific roadmap for people to find suitable travel solutions. "If the city immediately restricts polluting cars and motorbikes, how will people get around?", Mr. Minh wondered.
Concerned about environmental pollution affecting health, Mr. Tran Van Thanh (living in Dong Da district) said that Hanoi should ban gasoline and diesel vehicles from operating in inner-city districts as soon as possible. In the first phase, according to Mr. Thanh, Hanoi should immediately replace thousands of gasoline and diesel buses with electric vehicles. After that, the city should come up with a roadmap to reduce polluting personal vehicles.
Every day, Ms. Tran Thi Hanh commutes from Ha Dong to Ba Dinh by train, feeling very relaxed because she does not have to endure traffic jams. Therefore, Ms. Hanh supports the solution of establishing a 'low emission zone' in Hanoi. However, she believes that in order to do this, public transport needs to be adequate and convenient for people.
At the question-and-answer session of the Hanoi People's Council on the afternoon of December 11, City Chairman Tran Sy Thanh said that the establishment of a 'low emission zone' in the area aims to limit polluting vehicles to improve air quality.
According to Mr. Tran Sy Thanh, in the coming time, the city will implement many specific programs to encourage people in 'low emission' areas to switch to using green vehicles.
Specifically, Hanoi will coordinate with manufacturing enterprises to have a plan to reduce gasoline-powered vehicles in low-emission areas; study plans to reduce prices, exchange old vehicles, support old vehicle exchanges, and loans to buy new vehicles so that people in the 'low-emission areas' can basically switch from old, polluting motorbikes to electric vehicles.
Readers who have comments and opinions on this issue can send them to email: [email protected]. Articles published on VietNamNet will receive royalties according to the editorial board's regulations. Sincerely thank you!
Hanoi restricts polluting cars and motorbikes in Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem districts
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/han-che-phuong-tien-o-nhiem-o-ba-dinh-hoan-kiem-nguoi-dan-di-lai-nhu-the-nao-2352418.html
Comment (0)