Along with gradually restricting petrol-powered motorbikes in inner areas, Ha Noi is working to improve the quality of its public transport system as a means of easing traffic congestion and reducing environmental pollution.
Increasing the number and quality of public buses is one of Ha Noi’s measures to gradually restrict petrol-powered motorbikes.
Implementing the Prime Minister’s directive dated July 12, 2025 on urgent and bold measures to tackle environmental pollution, the capital city plans to ban motorbikes powered by fossil fuels inside Ring Road 1 from July 2026 and inside Ring Road 2 from 2028. The city also plans to restrict the use of private cars using petrol and diesel inside Ring Road 2 from 2028 and expand the restriction to Ring Road 3 from 2030.
To realise these goals, Ha Noi is rushing to convert its public buses to green vehicles while taking steps to increase the use of public transport.
According to Dao Viet Long, Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Construction Department, the capital city has achieved encouraging results in greening its bus fleet. As of July 2025, Ha Noi has launched 16 electric bus routes with a total of 248 vehicles, accounting for 12.86% of its bus fleet, exceeding the target set for 2025.
The city is also pushing for green transformation with taxi and ride-hailing services. Currently, 47.4% of taxis in Ha Noi are electric cars and 46.5% of ride-hailing cars with fewer than nine seats are electric-powered. 23 taxi companies have pledged to convert their entire fleets to electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030. The public bike service run by TNGo is also a bright spot with 1,100 bikes and 118 docking stations throughout the city.
According to Phan Truong Thanh, head of the Ha Noi Construction Department’s finance and investment division, there are currently 45 bus routes operating inside Ring Road 1. He stated that in the near future, Ha Noi will use electric minibuses to improve access to public transport for residents in the area, which is characterised by narrow streets.
Ha Noi Vice Chairman Duong Duc Tuan also affirmed that the capital city is restructuring its bus network with the goal of switching the entire bus fleet to green energy vehicles by 2030.
The city is also developing small-capacity vehicles such as 8- to 16-seat minibuses, electric transit vehicles with four or more seats, electric taxis and multimodal transport. These vehicles are expected to discourage private vehicle use in the inner city.
At the same time, efforts are being made to accelerate urban rail projects. Following the Cat Linh-Ha Dong Line, Ha Noi will commence construction of Line 2, Line 3 and Line 5, with the goal of having 98 kilometres of urban rail by 2030.
Tuan said that Ha Noi aims to increase the share of public transport to 35-40% by 2030, with the share in the core city expected to double.
However, the Ha Noi Construction Department noted that the initial investment costs for green vehicles and infrastructure remain high. For electric buses to have the same frequency of service as diesel-powered buses, the city needs to increase the number of vehicles by 40-50%. Meanwhile, financial incentives such as preferential loans or tax reductions are not strong enough to encourage bus operators to convert their fleets to electric.
Furthermore, concerns remain over the lifespan and range of EVs, as well as obstacles related to land and permits for charging station construction.
Despite affirming its commitment to following the city’s transformation roadmap by putting four electric bus routes into operation in 2025, Nguyen Thanh Nam, General Director of Transerco, the main bus operator in Ha Noi, also pointed out challenges in green transformation
He urged relevant authorities to promptly issue cost bases for small and medium-sized buses so that bus operators can invite bids and procure vehicles in a timely manner to implement the roadmap for 2026 and subsequent years so as to meet the 2030 target for full electrification.
In addition, bus operators need access to capital and interest rate support. Transerco’s projected borrowings to invest in 1,000 vehicles by 2030 are estimated to be three times higher than its current financial capacity.
The relevant agencies are working to address these bottlenecks. Ha Noi Vice Chairman Duong Duc Tuan stated that green transformation and environmental pollution control are a long process, requiring the joint participation of residents, enterprises and government.
He stressed that this is neither the sole task of the state nor the responsibility of residents or enterprises, but a shared undertaking in creating a better living environment for the capital city.