The strong transformation of transport infrastructure
According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Tan - Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment, the implementation of the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) Project is carried out according to a roadmap, ensuring the principle of supporting and creating conditions for people and businesses to switch before applying measures to limit high-emission vehicles. The first pilot phase (from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026) is implemented in Hoan Kiem ward. This is considered a "backbone" phase for people to get acquainted with the new traffic organization model, and at the same time for the city to complete monitoring infrastructure and support policies.
One of the most outstanding results after more than 1 month of implementation is the strong transformation of transport infrastructure and clean energy in the inner city area. According to the report, as of mid-July 2026, Hanoi has arranged 220 vehicle parking points to serve the parking needs of people and tourists.
The shared transportation system also recorded impressive figures. The network of public bicycles, electric bicycles and electric motorbikes throughout the city has reached 171 stations with 1,820 vehicles. The pilot area (Hoan Kiem and Cua Nam wards) alone has 44 stations with 456 vehicles, basically meeting the short-distance travel needs of people.
To solve the problem of traffic connection, the city has deployed 10 transfer parking lots according to the "Park and Ride" model in key areas such as Long Bien - Yen Phu, Tran Khat Chan, Cau Giay... This model allows people to park personal vehicles outside the low-emission zone to continue moving into the inner city by bus, urban railway or electric bicycle.
Regarding energy infrastructure, Hanoi currently has more than 2,300 charging station locations with over 10,200 charging ports, capable of serving about 130,000 electric cars. In addition, the 1,650 battery exchange cabinet system is also being actively operated and connected to electricity to be ready to serve the conversion needs of electric motorbike users.
Mr. Nguyen Minh Tan affirmed that developing green public transport is the key solution of the project. From July 1, 2026, 100% of bus routes operating in low-emission areas have used green and environmentally friendly vehicles. In particular, the city has implemented a policy of toll exemption for passengers traveling on 45 bus routes within Ring Road 1. This policy lasts until the end of June 2027 to encourage people to minimize the habit of using personal vehicles.
In parallel with that, smart surveillance infrastructure is also heavily invested in. Hanoi City Police have installed artificial intelligence (AI) application cameras at 11/27 gateway locations in the pilot area to automatically recognize license plates and monitor compliance with regulations. All data on vehicles, charging stations, and parking lots are integrated into the centralized management platform at the Intelligent Traffic Operation Center.
Great opportunity for people to change their travel habits
Associate Professor - Dr. Hoang Anh Le - Head of the Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Environment, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi - said, firstly, we must complete planning and infrastructure to serve new technologies. Secondly, there are mechanisms and authorities to support procedures and costs.
Third is communication, how to make people realize that is one of the solutions for us to improve the quality of the air environment, improve the quality of life of the community.
According to Associate Professor - Dr. Hoang Anh Le, it is necessary to urgently expand transport infrastructure such as installing electrical charging stations, replacing batteries and improving the public transport system.
Hanoi has applied a policy of free bus tickets for passengers traveling in the Ring Road 1 area, while increasing the frequency of connecting routes, adding transfer points and parking lots in the low-emission area to create conditions for people to switch from personal vehicles to buses or urban railways.
This is a great opportunity for people to change their travel habits, gradually shifting from personal vehicles to public transport, specifically buses and urban railways" - Mr. Hoang Le Anh said.
Dr. Khuong Kim Tao - former Deputy Chief of Office, National Traffic Safety Committee - proposed: "In addition to focusing on urgent tasks such as installing electric charging stations or strengthening bus routes, Hanoi needs to have some support policies for people to implement the program to change from gasoline motorbikes to electric vehicles.
In addition, the process of "greening" public transport and green energy conversion is also being promoted. With taxis, out of a total of 14,375 vehicles in operation, there are 8,992 electric vehicles, reaching a rate of 60.47%.
It is expected that by the end of 2026, the whole city will have 857 buses using clean energy. By 2030, Hanoi aims for 100% of buses operating on electricity or green energy, gradually replacing fossil fuel vehicles, contributing to reducing emissions right from the public transport system.
