Hanoi is planning to develop a public transport network with electric buses, using green energy. Under the ‘green bus’ plan, all buses and taxis will use electricity or green energy from 2025. What do you think about this plan?

I believe this is a breakthrough as Hanoi is bold in eliminating the means of transport using fossil fuel and shifting to vehicles using cleaner energy.

To implement the strategy, the Hanoi Transport Department has described three scenarios for transition in 2026-2030, including 100 percent electric buses; 70 percent electric buses and 30 percent LNG/CNG (Liquefied Natural Gas/Compressed natural gas) buses; and 50 percent electric buses and 50 percent LNG/CNG buses.

I think every option has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, if we look at the electric buses rolling on Hanoi’s streets, many people would suggest using 100 percent electric buses by 2030 because the buses are clean, beautiful and environmentally protective.

How about taxis? It is obvious that gasoline-run taxis still account for a large proportion. Do you think that there should be a policy to encourage taxi firms to speed up the use of electric taxis?

I do think that not only electric taxis, but all current public means of transport should be replaced with electric vehicles. If all current taxis will turn into electric taxis, Hanoians will no longer have to suffer from noise and air pollution.

I hope that not only taxis will shift to use electricity. When I see cleaners collecting waste every day and pushing garbage carts, I wish the work could be done mechanically. If so, we can do the sorting of waste at source, which we have not implemented for many years. 

This will not only help improve productivity, but also help protect the environment and ease the workload on cleaners. And if we can use electric vehicles, collecting waste at night will help ease the workload and prevent noise.

It would be great if cargo automobiles ran on electricity, and it would be wonderful as postal cars also use clean energy. These are things all Hanoians are expecting.

In implementing the transition, local authorities play a very important role. 

For example, in garbage classification, it is necessary to require waste collection units to meet the requirements on technical equipment. If local authorities request units to use environmentally friendly vehicles, this will show the city’s strong determination for green transition.

Tien Anh