HCMC plans to ban motorbikes from travelling to the city center by 2030, according to a new proposal by the municipal Transport Department on strengthening public passenger transport and controlling personal vehicles sent to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of HCMC for feedback.

Traffic congestion is a usual sight in HCMC. The local goverment plans to put an outright ban on motorbikes and scooters in key business districts

The department said the public bus system will play a key role in the scheme. Buses are scheduled to meet 15%-20% of commuter needs by 2025. The respective rates for 2025 and 2030 will be 20.5%-26.6% and 29.3%-36.8%.

Therefore, the corresponding proportion of motorcycle users should decrease, according to the department.

Once the scheme is approved, the city would place restrictions on a gradual basis and then an outright ban on motorbikes and scooters in key business districts, such as 1, 3, 5 and 10, during the 2025-2030 period. However, the public transit system must satisfy commuter demand in these restricted areas within an average passenger reach of less than 500 meters.

The scheme, along with other measures, could partly ease traffic congestion, cut social costs, reduce pollution, and develop a civilized, modern and sustainable city, a representative of the department told Thanh Nien newspaper.

The source noted that the restriction on motorcycles will be put in place once the public transit system essentially meets the core travel demand of local commuters.

The department has presented 36 solutions to enhance the transit system, alongside taking control over private vehicles.

The municipal government plans to collect fees from cars travelling into the city center during the 2020-2025 period.

At the same time, authorities intend to check the technical safety and environmental protection conditions of all motor vehicles.

The municipal government will allocate an estimated VND52.4 trillion (US$2.2 billion) from the local State budget to develop the public bus system.

In addition, roughly VND323 trillion will be sourced from the private sector or official development assistance loans to invest in public buses, bicycles and electric motorbikes and infrastructure, as well as institute relevant systems and policies, among other issues. 

Recent statistics reveal that the city now has some eight million motorbikes and scooters.

SGT