Hanoi launches public bike service

The Hanoi People’s Committee opened the service with cooperation from a business. 1,000 bikes would be available, half of them being electric bikes. The service was part of an urban bike project, which was expected to be launched at the end of 2022, but was delayed because investors wanted to include electric bikes in the roster.

Earlier this month, the first bikes had been moved to 79 locations in the city, near tourist sites, populated neighborhoods, bus and metro sites in six downtown districts. To use the service, one would need to install an app on their phones. Renting an electric bike for 30 minutes would cost VND10,000 (42 cents), and renting an ordinary bike would cost VND5,000. Parking stations would be unguarded, and people could return the bikes at any time they like.

Dao Viet Long, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Transport, said bike renting can provide people with one more option regarding public transport and help them shift their traveling habits to protect the environment. Besides bikes, Hanoi has electric bus, taxi and motorbike services.

"After 12 months of trial, the transport department would evaluate the model's quality and effectiveness," Long said.

A representative of the investors of the project said that from Aug. 16 to 22, over 16,000 new accounts had been opened, and over 7,000 rides have been made, totaling over 46,000 km (28,600 mi) traversed.

Bike renting services have already been available in HCMC, Hai Phong and Da Nang, with over 2,500 active bikes and over 2.6 million km traversed.