On February 1, the Hanoi Department of Transport held a ceremony to inaugurate a pilot priority route for bicycles along the To Lich River, from Moc Bridge (Thanh Xuan District) to Yen Hoa Bridge (Cau Giay District).
According to Dan Tri reporters on the same afternoon, the number of people traveling by bicycle on this route is still quite modest, mainly people using sports bicycles for exercise.
Many people do not know that the road has been changed from a pedestrian road to a road for both bicycles and pedestrians.
The number of people using the bicycle lane was not much on the first day of the pilot, mainly people using bicycles for exercise (Photo: Ha My).
Mr. Hung (70 years old, Cau Giay district) said that he often exercises along this route, so he still follows the habit of walking along the To Lich River. However, this lane is currently reserved for bicycles, pedestrians will walk in the lane adjacent to Lang Street.
The man found it "a bit inconvenient" to occasionally have to avoid bicycles, but he said he would try using public bicycles in the future, instead of walking as usual.
"The road has been renovated and clearly marked, but pedestrians like me will have to change their habits and go to another lane. Cyclists may also feel uncomfortable when they have to carry their bike over a fence to continue, but there must be a fence to prevent motorbikes from entering," said Mr. Hung.
Mr. Hung (70 years old, Cau Giay district) said that due to habit, he still drives in the lane next to To Lich river, while this lane is currently reserved for bicycles (Photo: Ha My).
Sharing the same feeling, Mr. Hoang Minh, a person who is passionate about exercising by cycling, said he felt inconvenienced when the route was only nearly 3km long but he had to continuously carry his bike over the fence to continue moving.
Admitting that having a dedicated bike lane helps him avoid having to weave through traffic jams when he wants to exercise, he said the barriers are the reason he doesn't prioritize using this part of the road.
"The road is beautiful but not optimal for cyclists to practice, because every short distance they have to stop, cross the street, and then carry the bike over the fence," Mr. Minh complained.
The shortcomings that Mr. Minh and Mr. Hung mentioned could be the reason why a section of the barrier has come loose at the beginning of the route, where it intersects with Trung Hoa Bridge.
Previously, the authorities had removed some barriers to make it easier for bicycles to enter the route. But just a few hours after the pilot began, the middle barrier had come loose, leaving a large gap that even motorbikes could enter.
The fence near Trung Hoa bridge was pulled out of its fixed position, leaving a large gap for motorbikes to enter (Photo: Ha My).
Using the route for another purpose, Van Thinh (a student at the University of Transport) said that instead of using the bus on the congested Lang Street, he used a public bicycle to travel from Cau Giay to Thanh Xuan, then walked a short distance to a nearby meeting place.
Short travel time and no crowding are the advantages that Thinh sees when using a bicycle on this route. However, the student admits that he does not travel such a "convenient" route every day.
According to the leader of Hanoi Department of Transport, after officially putting into operation, this will be the first bicycle route in the capital.
The goal of this route is to gradually synchronize the infrastructure connecting the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway line currently in operation and the Nhon - Hanoi Railway Station line, which is expected to commercially operate the elevated section next June.
"Along this route, there are 7 public bicycle stations, connecting more than 20 bus routes. These are the first, important and optimal "puzzle pieces" to handle the shortcomings when two urban railway lines operate but cannot connect with each other," said a representative of the Hanoi Department of Transport.
Leaders of the capital's transport sector expect that once the dedicated bicycle lanes come into operation, the efficiency of the two urban railway lines will be promoted, thereby increasing the number of people choosing public transport when participating in traffic.
This is also one of the important steps for Hanoi to gradually consider limiting private vehicles in some inner-city areas, thereby helping to reduce congestion and synchronize infrastructure.
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