Hanoi apartment complex to ban electric motorbike parking on safety fears

On Wednesday its management issued a notice outlining a two-phase progress toward the ban, Dan Tri newspaper reported.

First, with immediate effect, new registrations for parking such vehicles will cease. A blanket ban on parking electric vehicles will take effect on Feb. 1, 2026.

The management said in the notice: "Electric motorcycles and bicycles use batteries, which are prone to fires from electrical malfunctions, collisions or improper charging."

A fire in the crowded basement could make evacuation difficult and spread toxic fumes, threatening the lives of residents, it said, admitting that the number of vehicles exceeds the designed parking capacity.

A security guard guides an electric motorbike owner to park in the designated area at an apartment complex in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Manh Mai

The announcement has sparked frustration among residents.

My Hanh, 34, expressed concern over the move, saying the building is going against the government’s push for electric vehicle adoption.

"The management..., instead of banning them outright, should come up with a solution," Hanh said.

Just two months ago she had switched from a gasoline-powered to an electric motorcycle, finding it more convenient for her family of three.

The proposed parking ban has left her and other vehicle owners scratching their heads. But some support the ban, pointing out that the building, constructed years ago, lacks sufficient fire safety measures.

The basement was not designed to accommodate electric vehicles, and the building lacks a maintenance fund to upgrade electric vehicle infrastructure, they said.