Hanoi to pilot bicycle-only routes to ease traffic

The first route, a 2.3-km-long two-way bicycle lane along To Lich River from Nga Tu So intersection in Dong Da district to Cau Giay District, is three meters wide while the remaining one meter is reserved for pedestrians.

The route connects with Lang station of Cat Linh – Ha Dong metro line and No. 8 station of Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line.

The second route will encompass Hoa Binh Park and Hoang Minh Thao Street in Bac Tu Liem District, totaling approximately 5.7 km.

The city’s Department of Transport said the city needs VND10 billion (US$411,000) for trailing the bicycle-only routes.

Over the past few years, Hanoi has trialed separating vehicles into different lanes, though there have been no exclusive lanes for bicycles.

Transport officials pointed out that the lack of infrastructure for bicycles limits use and makes it difficult for related services to develop.

As of July, Hanoi had over 7.6 million vehicles, with over a million cars and 6.5 million motorbikes. There is no data regarding the number of bicycles in the city.