June 18, 2023
In a recent collaborative effort to promote green transportation, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Vietnam, the EU-funded SOLUTIONSplus project, and Thua Thien Hue Institute for Development Policies organised in June a national peer-to-peer exchange on e-bike and e-scooter sharing systems in Vietnam.
The event brought together representatives from various government departments, private companies, and academic institutions to share experiences, lessons learned, and discuss policies and solutions for advancing electric-2-wheeler-sharing systems in the country.
The local context of Vietnam underscores the importance of this discussion. Hanoi, one of the major cities in Vietnam, has around 8 million vehicles, including over 6 million motorcycles. With only 10% of Hanoi residents using public transportation and about 70% depending on motorcycles, traffic congestion and emissions have become significant concerns. Proposals to ban motorbikes in inner-city areas have been suggested multiple times, but concerns about their feasibility have been raised. To tackle these issues, the Vietnamese Government has instructed Hanoi and four other major cities (Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho) to plan for a motorcycle ban post-2030, focusing resources on managing congestion, reducing traffic jams to under 30 minutes, and implementing a congestion fee system in areas prone to traffic jams and pollution.
The workshop highlighted successful 2-wheeler-sharing models from cities worldwide, emphasising the critical coordination role between national governments, local authorities, private companies in the transport sector, technology companies, financial institutions, and development assistance organisations. Participants identified key challenges in managing and operating this mode of mobility, including policy, institutional, and technological.
Action points have been proposed to be prioritised, specifically starting off with the analysis on the missing framework in policies, institutions, urban planning, technology, standards, maintenance, and operation, ensuring safety for users, and methods of management to make electric 2-wheeler-sharing successful in Vietnam.
The workshop concluded with a strong emphasis on building an enabling environment and clear regulations to encourage the development of electric-2-wheeler-sharing systems in Vietnam. By addressing these action points and focusing on overcoming the barriers identified during the workshop, the country is set to make significant strides in promoting green transport development and achieving its net-zero emissions target by 2025.
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