Hanoi bans taxis from 11 streets to reduce congestion

By Phan Anh   June 5, 2019 | 05:00 pm PT
Hanoi bans taxis from 11 streets to reduce congestion
Cars line up on Nguyen Trai Street in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress.
Hanoi has banned taxis and vehicles belonging to ride-hailing services on 11 streets during peak hours to ease congestion.

Vehicles with less than nine seats are not allowed between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Giang Vo, Lang Ha, Le Van Luong streets, the stretch of Truong Chinh Street from Vuong Thua Vu to Ton That Tung, and the portion of Kham Thien Street from Le Duan to O Cho Dua.

The ban will not apply on weekends and holidays.

The ban also applies to one direction of Chuong Duong Bridge from Nguyen Van Cu towards Tran Nhat Duat from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. except on weekends and holidays.

Hang Bai Street between Tran Hung Dao and Ly Thuong Kiet is off-limits from 7 p.m. to midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

There is complete ban on the segments of Phu Doan Street from Trang Thi to Hang Bong and from Cau Giay to Xuan Thuy and a segment of Alley 897, Giai Phong Street.

Drivers entering the banned streets could be fined VND800,000 ($34) to VND1.2 million ($51) and have their licenses revoked for one to three months.

In March Hanoi revived a plan it had approved in 2017 to ban motorbikes in downtown districts by 2030 and restrict the use of all private vehicles in areas well served by public transport as the capital groans under chronic traffic jams and air pollution.

The city, with a population of 7.5 million, has 5.6 million motorbikes and around 550,000 cars besides some 1.2 million motorbikes brought in from elsewhere, according to official figures.

 
 
go to top