Vietnamese scoff at bike-ban plan as motorcycles engulf capital
World famous for its endless swarms of motorcycles, Vietnam is considering banning bikes in the capital over fears its leafy streets will become overrun as the population swells and its middle class buys up cars in record numbers. Hanoi is forecast to have seven million motorcycles on its roads in the next two years – almost the same as its current population – leaving city bigwigs with a crisis on their hands as cars, buses and bikes jostle and petrified pedestrians run the gauntlet crossing streets. “It’s impossible. It will cause difficulties for bureaucrats, employers, students and traders,” said Pham Van Chinh, a motor-taxi driver.
