From proactive saving
Mr. Nguyen Minh Khoa - a 32-year-old civil servant working in the inner city of Hanoi - decided to start his saving journey by repairing a bicycle that he had left in the corner of his house for nearly 10 years.
From the beginning of next week, I will go to work by bicycle. With the distance from Thanh Xuan ward to the Old Quarter, using a bicycle is also reasonable" - he said.
“Usually I go to work by car, but with the current gasoline price, I have to spend an additional 1-2 million VND per month on gasoline. Money is only a part, the important thing is that looking at the long queue to buy gasoline is also embarrassing. Well, nowadays riding a bicycle is also good, economical and improves health”.
Mr. Khoa also said that his unit has also started to have many people "shift lanes" from motorbikes and personal cars to less fuel-efficient vehicles.
Talking to Lao Dong, economic expert Ngo Tri Long said: "When gasoline prices tend to increase according to fluctuations in the world market, the story of fuel spending becomes a concern for many families and businesses. Each time gasoline prices increase by several thousand VND per liter, travel, transportation, and daily living expenses are affected. However, if viewed more broadly, saving gasoline is not only a "belt-tightening" solution for each family but also an important factor contributing to stabilizing the country's economy.
First of all, gasoline and oil are one of the important inputs of the economy. From transportation, industrial production, agriculture to services, all depend on this energy source. When gasoline and oil prices increase, transportation costs increase accordingly, leading to increased prices of goods and services. This puts pressure on inflation and people's spending.
Saving and efficient fuel use can help reduce some of the negative impacts. When transport businesses optimize routes, when people limit unnecessary trips or choose more fuel-efficient vehicles, total gasoline consumption will decrease. This is not a small number considering the scale of tens of millions of vehicles circulating nationwide" - Mr. Long assessed.
To the opportunity for public transport
On March 6, the Domestic Market Management and Development Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) updated information on the gasoline and oil situation. According to this agency, the military conflict in the Middle East is creating major shocks for the world energy market, leading to the risk of supply disruption and strong fluctuations in gasoline and oil prices.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade also recommends that people actively practice energy saving, prioritize the use of public transport, electric vehicles and biofuels to reduce dependence on mineral gasoline. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain calm psychology in the face of market fluctuations, avoid confusion or unnecessary stockpiling of gasoline and oil.
Many experts believe that in the face of fluctuating gasoline prices, there will be many opportunities for public transport in Hanoi. The problem is that right now, Hanoi transport needs more solutions to make buses more attractive and create more favorable conditions for passengers.
To date, Hanoi has 2 urban railway lines and 154 bus routes. The network connects to many important points such as: industrial parks, universities, hospitals and large urban areas. Many bus routes connect to urban railways, helping passengers easily switch routes between buses and elevated trains, reducing personal traffic. In addition, the city also has adjacent bus routes connecting neighboring localities.
Leaders of the Hanoi Department of Construction admitted that public passenger transport is still unattractive and not strong enough to replace personal vehicles. Buses are "covered" widely, but the on-time rate is relatively low and has not created confidence.
A recent survey shows that for the same distance, riding a motorbike takes 20 minutes but taking a bus takes up to 43 minutes. In particular, 70.6% of intra-regional trips have a distance of less than 6km, of which nearly half is less than 3km. This is an ideal distance for walking, cycling or taking the bus, but people still choose motorbikes because of the convenience of this type of vehicle.
To overcome bottlenecks in public transport, in the coming time, the Hanoi People's Committee will continue to organize a review and rationalization of the entire waiting area and bus stops in terms of distance and location suitability so that passengers can easily access and ensure intercommunication (average distance of about 500m in the inner city and about 800m with the suburbs); arrange bus stops in an integrated direction, approaching urban railway stations, parking lots, parking lots, capable of connecting with transport types such as: taxis, public bicycles... to diversify people's access to public transport of the Capital.
