Officials issue sudden order to ban all motorbikes from major city — here's what's happening
Vietnam's capital city is taking aggressive action to tackle its air pollution problem.
Hanoi, consistently rated as one of the most polluted cities in the world, will impose restrictions on the types of vehicles allowed on its major roads, the New Straits Times reported. The restrictions begin in July 2026, when all gas-powered motorbikes and mopeds will be banned from Ring Road 1, a major road that encircles the city center.
At the start of 2028, all motorbikes and mopeds will be banned from Ring Roads 1 and 2, and some limits will also be placed on fossil fuel-powered cars. Those restrictions extend to Ring Road 3 starting in 2030.
The new law, announced by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, also requires Hanoi officials to create a public awareness campaign for the new plan and to make eco-friendly upgrades to the city's public transportation fleet.
These changes will hopefully help bring some relief to a city that has often been covered in a pollution-filled haze. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 60,000 deaths each year in Vietnam are caused by air pollution.
IQAir, which tracks air quality for nearly 9,000 cities worldwide, lists Hanoi as one of the world's 200 most-polluted cities. During stretches this past winter, it ranked as the most-polluted city, and the air quality got so bad in March that many schools closed, NBC News reported.
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This is not the only step Hanoi is taking to curb its pollution problem. The city has also announced a ban on single-use plastics, including straws, cups, and food containers, which will be rolled out over the course of the next few years, starting this fall with food establishments on Ring Road 1.
By 2031, the city will have a ban on the import, export, or sale of any single-use plastic items or any product that contains microplastics.Vietnam's capital city is taking aggressive action to tackle its air pollution problem.
Hanoi, consistently rated as one of the most polluted cities in the world, will impose restrictions on the types of vehicles allowed on its major roads, the New Straits Times reported. The restrictions begin in July 2026, when all gas-powered motorbikes and mopeds will be banned from Ring Road 1, a major road that encircles the city center.
At the start of 2028, all motorbikes and mopeds will be banned from Ring Roads 1 and 2, and some limits will also be placed on fossil fuel-powered cars. Those restrictions extend to Ring Road 3 starting in 2030.
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The new law, announced by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, also requires Hanoi officials to create a public awareness campaign for the new plan and to make eco-friendly upgrades to the city's public transportation fleet.
These changes will hopefully help bring some relief to a city that has often been covered in a pollution-filled haze. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 60,000 deaths each year in Vietnam are caused by air pollution.
IQAir, which tracks air quality for nearly 9,000 cities worldwide, lists Hanoi as one of the world's 200 most-polluted cities. During stretches this past winter, it ranked as the most-polluted city, and the air quality got so bad in March that many schools closed, NBC News reported.
This is not the only step Hanoi is taking to curb its pollution problem. The city has also announced a ban on single-use plastics, including straws, cups, and food containers, which will be rolled out over the course of the next few years, starting this fall with food establishments on Ring Road 1.
By 2031, the city will have a ban on the import, export, or sale of any single-use plastic items or any product that contains microplastics.
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Officials issue sudden order to ban all motorbikes from major city — here's what's happening first appeared on The Cool Down.
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