Motorbike ban could push shift to public transportation

By IT_kid   April 8, 2022 | 04:59 pm PT
Motorbike ban could push shift to public transportation
A traffic jam on Hanoi's Nguyen Trai Street, May 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh
It's been said that many people will switch to cars if motorbikes are banned, thus worsening traffic jams and pollution. I don't think so.

I think many will shift to public transportation instead.

To repeat, banning motorbikes wouldn't mean an immediate increase in the number of cars on the street and a consequent increase in traffic jams. If a person's income isn't high enough, buying cars won't be an option even if motorbikes are not allowed.

Cars are not just expensive buys, they are also very high maintenance things.

How many people can afford to spend VND100 million ($4,374) a year on his/her car? Especially when the value of a car only drops as it gets older its condition worsens?

I don't think banning motorbikes will force people to switch to cars. Only 10-20 percent of motorbike users would be able to afford a car. It means 5-10 motorbikes would disappear from the road for a car to take their place, which should reduce traffic density immensely.

The rest would have to resort to other forms of public transportation like buses and metro. When there's high demand, there would be more budget available to upgrade their infrastructure. Banning motorbikes is a surefire way for better development of bus systems.

An additional perk of banning motorbikes would be the disappearance of invasive street stalls. Finally, the sidewalks could be returned to pedestrians.

I say the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to banning motorbikes.

The opinions expressed here are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress's viewpoints. Send your opinions here.
 
 
go to top