The trend of using electric vehicles is spreading
Ms. Tran Thi Huong (Dong Da ward, Hanoi) said that every day she has to ride a motorbike on a gasoline motorbike through busy streets, and she often feels tired from the smoke and dust from the gasoline vehicles. "In the morning, when I go to work, just waiting for a red light for a while is the smell of gasoline and exhaust gas in my face. One day I coughed up, my eyes were spicy. I really hope that Hanoi's vehicles will switch to environmentally friendly, smoke-free vehicles" - Ms. Huong shared.
Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Van Quan (Hai Ba Trung ward, Hanoi) said that he has thought many times about switching to using electric motorbikes. "I have seen many people riding electric cars. No noise, no gas, and still economical. Now my husband and I both want to change our vehicles, we just have to wait for a reasonable price and more support from the State to move immediately" - Mr. Quan said.
In reality, not only people but many experts also positively evaluate the conversion from gasoline-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. Associate Professor, Dr. Dam Hoang Phuc - Director of the Automotive Technical Training Program, Hanoi University of Science and Technology - said that electric vehicles have many superior features compared to traditional gasoline vehicles, especially in terms of environment and performance. "Emissions from electric vehicles are concentrated at the source, easy to process and do not directly affect people. Electric vehicles are also capable of better acceleration, smooth operation, and less vibration" - Mr. Phuc emphasized.
According to Mr. Ngo Viet Dung - Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Sports Automobile Association - in the past 2 years, the trend of switching to electric cars has increased rapidly, not only in personal vehicles but also in services such as technology taxis.
The trend of using electric motorbikes is gradually changing. Previously, electric motorbikes were often associated with students and housewives because of their low price and low capacity. However, currently, the brands have focused on upgrading quality, improving durability, performance, battery capacity and aesthetics. Mr. Dung believes that, along with changes in consumer awareness and efforts to improve from businesses, electric motorbikes can completely dominate gasoline vehicles in the near future.
Reorganizing traffic, creating a green transformation boost
However, for the conversion process to take place synchronously and effectively, it is necessary to strongly develop the public transport system. This is considered an important condition for people to feel secure when gradually reducing dependence on personal vehicles running on gasoline, especially in the inner city area such as Hanoi's Ring Road 1.
Dr. Khuat Viet Hung - Chairman of Hanoi Metro - commented that the Hanoi metro line still has a lot of room for exploitation, up to 80%. Investment in connecting infrastructure is improving significantly. The Cat Linh - Ha Dong route has most stations with vehicle parking lots. In the near future, parking lots will continue to be increased. People traveling from Ha Dong can park their vehicles in Yen Nghia, La Khe, Van Khe... and then take the train to the center" - Mr. Hung cited.
Metro Hanoi has coordinated with transportation units such as Vin bus, Xanh SM, Hanoi Transport Corporation to create convenient service linkages. People using technology vehicles and electric vehicles to the station will receive a discount on train tickets. According to Mr. Hung, Hanoi's current bus transport capacity is not inferior to that of major cities in the world. "This year, two more urban railway lines will be started, this will be a big boost to promote the green transformation process" - Mr. Hung assessed.
From an environmental perspective, Dr. Hoang Duong Tung - Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network - said that limiting gasoline motorbikes in Ring Road 1 is a suitable decision with sufficient scientific and legal basis. Hanoi is among the most polluted cities in the world. Of which, gasoline-powered motorbikes are one of the major sources of emissions. Therefore, limiting gasoline motorbikes in the inner city is a mandatory solution" - Mr. Tung commented.
However, Mr. Tung also noted that there is not much time left to prepare for this roadmap, so it is necessary to promote communication to raise people's awareness, and at the same time, the State needs to quickly issue specific support policies. Along with supporting the development of private transport, Hanoi needs to reorganize traffic, develop public transport and synchronous infrastructure.
