From The Guardian
The everyday commute in Hanoi is a test of endurance; it requires perseverance and concentration, and involves pollution, bizarre noises, and mysterious aromas. Traffic lights act more like loose guidelines for the flow of traffic, and with busy crowded streets, public buses are the most feared among bicyclists for their accelerator-happy feet.
Cars and motorcyclists are caught in a traffic jam on a peripheral road in Hanoi. (HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images)
Hanoi is responsible for more than 10% of Vietnam’s economic output and is home to 14% of the population. It’s a crowded city; its nine central districts have an average population density of 20,000 people/km2. By comparison, London’s nine most crowded boroughs have an average population density of 11,738 people/km2 (pdf).
Since Vietnam’s Doi Moi (renovation) policies of economic liberalisation began in 1986, its capital Hanoi has undergone multiple massive transformations. The most visible is Hanoi’s transportation sector, which shifted dramatically (pdf) from bicycle to motorbike and now to car over the last twenty years. In 1990, 80% of trips were made by bicycle, whereas in 2005, 97% were by motorcycle. According to the same study by the Institution for Transport Policy Studies, motorcycle usage will have decreased to 63% by 2050 due to the steady rise in car ownership.
Given this rapid shift, what does the future hold for transport in Hanoi? Increasing congestion, pollution, and inaccessibility, or a more liveable and sustainable environment?
Arve Hansen, research fellow at the Centre for Development and the Environment in Oslo, states that private car ownership in Vietnam is not only practical reasons, but for because in a country with a per capita GDP of $1,900 and an average monthly salary of $185, it is a sign of immense wealth.
Addressing the current and impending issues of increasing car ownership are more complex than implementing a ban on cars. “The car is the ultimate object for distinction,” says Hansen. “Sure, a nice house is necessary, but it is not mobile. A car can be taken anywhere at any time. A car is distinction gone mobile.”
Read the full article HERE.
