Nearly 400 students add nameplates to electric bikes for road safety, sparking online buzz

The initiative has gone viral for promoting road safety, with photos of rows of bikes neatly tagged with students’ names mushrooming on social media on Nov. 9, drawing thousands of likes and comments.

Many users applauded the idea as a practical and creative way to foster traffic awareness and prevent confusion in crowded parking areas.

Students' electric bicycles at Ngoc Lap Middle School in northern province of Phu Tho have been fitted with nameplates and arranged by class. Photo courtesy of the school

Hoang Duc Giang, the school’s principal, said it was started by the student union about 10 days ago to help families better monitor students, especially those who spend time outside during lunch breaks.

"The nameplates encourage a culture of safe and responsible travel," he said, adding that the school only proposed the concept and design, and participation is voluntary.

But almost all parents chose to take part, with around 400 bicycles now bearing nameplates.

394 out of 561 students at Ngoc Lap Middle School drive electric bicycles to school. Photo courtesy of the school

Parents expressed support for the initiative.

Tran Thi Sen, 48, said for two years already she had been doing it to her child’s bike. "If a child breaks traffic rules, others can identify them by name." She has switched to the school’s design, she added.

Another parent, Do Duc Tho, agreed with her that privacy is not a concern, as some people have suggested, since the plates only display the student’s name and class, information already shown on school uniforms.

Electric bicycles powered by motors of under 250W and with a top speed of 25 km/h are classified as non-motorized vehicles, meaning children under 16 can use them without a license.