Launching Ceremony “Technical guideline for cycling infrastructure design in urban areas”

The Department of Technical Infrastructure (DTI) of the Ministry of Construction, in collaboration with the German Development Agency (GIZ), the World Resources Institute, and HealthBridge, held the Lauching Ceremony “Technical guidelines for cycling infrastructure design in urban areas” on May 29 in Hanoi. Mr. Khuat Viet Hung - Vice Chairman in charge of National Traffic Safety Committee; leaders of units under the Ministry of Construction; representatives of localities, domestic and international organizations attended the ceremony.

Director of Technical Infrastructure Department Ta Quang Vinh spoke at the ceremony

Speaking at the ceremony, Director of the Department of Technical Infrastructure Ta Quang Vinh said that, at present, the harmonious development between economy and environment, the trend of using bicycles and public transport means of large cities has been posing many problems for state management agencies at both central and local levels. Bycicle should be interested in creating conditions from urban planning, investment design and construction of urban transport infrastructure systems to the exploitation and use phase, in order to create convenience and safety for users. Therefore, the system of technical regulations and standards for cycling infrastructure design are necessary.

In that context, the Department of Technical Infrastructure has actively coordinated with international organizations to research, compile and complete the Technical Guideline for cycling infrastructure design. According to Director Vinh, the Guideline provides theoretical as well as technical solutions to bicycle-related issues that comply with the recently released standards in Vietnam.

Vice Chairman in charge of National Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung spoke at the ceremony.

Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung said that now there are enough scientific evidences for cities of advanced countries in the world to gradually switch to green transport, which focuses on the development of cycling. In Vietnam, the perception of the value of cycling has also changed. In the past, bicycles were the primary mode of conveyance in all Vietnamese cities. At the moment bicycles are not only a mean of transport but also a solution to solve urban problems, reduce traffic congestion and traffic accidents, protect the environment, and contribute to Vietnam's carbon neutrality by 2050.

 Mr. Daniel Herrmann - Chief Advisor of the Project "Supporting Vietnam to implement the Paris Agreement, Phase II" (GIZ) spoke at the ceremony

Mr. Daniel Herrmann - Chief Advisor of the Project "Supporting Vietnam to Implement the Paris Agreement, Phase II" (GIZ) said that 20% of global emissions belong to the transport sector, in which road transport accounts for more than 70% of the total emissions of the industry. Bicycles have always been an accessible, safe, healthy and environmentally friendly means of transport. Prioritizing the use of bicycles as a daily mean of transport is an effective and low-cost strategy to help cities achieve their green growth goals.

“To make cities viable, secure, and environmentally friendly, the installation of bicycle-enabled infrastructure should be an essential aspect of city development. Building and implementing bicycle infrastructure in collaboration with other public transport projects will improve the efficiency of the transport system and maximize the return on investments.”, said Nguyen Thi An, country director of HealthBridge Vietnam.

At the end of the ceremony, Director General Ta Quang Vinh thanked domestic and international organizations for supporting the Technical Infrastructure Department to complete the Techinical Guideline for cycling infrastructure design, and also expressed his wish that the guideline would be a valuable reference for the construction and implementation of related projects.