From today, March 1, Hanoi City officially piloted a ban on cars with more than 16 seats (except buses and school buses) from circulating in the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake during rush hour. Specific vehicle ban times include: from 6:30 am to 8:30 am and from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm per day, the pilot period lasts until August 31, 2025.
The ban on vehicles with more than 16 seats during rush hour has received mixed attention and reactions from the public. While small and medium-sized stores, hotels, and accommodation facilities are not affected much by the new regulations, some large hotels are finding the most convenient way to welcome large groups of customers to the inner city if there are no vehicles with more than 16 seats.
Talking to Lao Dong, a representative of Apricot Hotel (Hang Trong Ward, Hoan Kiem) said that this accommodation facility is located between Hang Trong Street and Le Thai To Street (the area not subject to the ban pilot) so it is not too affected.
However, the hotel still tries to share with the travel company in welcoming large groups of visitors: "When the hotel contacts to discuss and find solutions, the travel and travel company announces that it will avoid picking up and dropping off guests during prohibited hours as much as possible. However, the number of passengers traveling outside peak hours is only a small part, because it depends on the landing time of international flights".
"Our hotel only had a little trouble on Saturdays and Sundays. Meanwhile, accommodation facilities in the old town area will be banned every day of the week, which will clearly affect the ability to welcome large groups and revenue," said the hotel representative.
The most difficult part will fall on hotels deep in the old town and on prohibited routes.
From 6:30 am to 8:30 am is the time when tourism companies welcome guests at the hotel to take them to tourist destinations such as Ninh Binh, Ha Long... and in the evening from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm is also the time when tourists return to the hotel to rest.
If it is not possible to avoid picking up and dropping off guests at this time, many hotels in the old town are discussing with travel businesses, ready to arrange small cars to pick up and drop off guests at the gathering place.
Mr. Bui Thanh Tu - Marketing Director of BestPrice Travel Travel Company - said: "For large groups of tourists, if they cannot avoid going during peak hours, our current plan is to rent a car with less than 16 seats for customers to go to a gathering place before departing for the tourist destination".
According to the plan, the routes with more than 16 seats are limited to vehicles including the routes Hang Giay - Dong Xuan - Hang Duong - Hang Ngang - Dinh Tien Hoang; Hang Dau - Tran Nhat Duat - Nguyen Huu Huan axis in Hanoi's Old Quarter and the streets of Ly Quoc Su, Nha Tho, Nha Chung, Quang Trung (from Trang Thi to Nha Chung), Au Trieu, Bao Khanh, Hang Trong, Hang Hanh Alley, Bao Khanh Alley.
Through the review of the authorities, statistics in the pilot scope of baning cars with more than 16 seats show that a total of about 138 hotels are affected. Dong Xuan ward has 10 hotels, Hang Buom ward has 66 hotels, Hang Bac ward has 47 hotels, Hang Trong ward has 15 hotels.
This ban is expected to reduce congestion, chaos, disorder in traffic safety, and environmental pollution in the old town and around Hoan Kiem Lake.
After 6 months, the authorities will evaluate the effectiveness and report to the city for consideration and official decision.
