Hanoi bans petrol motorbikes on 11 Old Quarter streets in low-emission pilot

What is the background?

Hanoi has about 6.9 million registered motorbikes, and government researchers have traced roughly a quarter of the city’s fine-particle air pollution to vehicle exhaust. On 1 July 2026, the city launched Vietnam’s first low-emission zone, restricting petrol-powered vehicles inside a small core of the historic Old Quarter.

What happened?

Police began enforcing a time-based ban on petrol motorbikes across 11 streets in Hoan Kiem ward: Trang Tien, Hang Khay, Le Thai To, Hang Dao, Hang Ngang, Hang Buom, Ma May, Hang Bac, Hang Mam, Nguyen Huu Huan, and Ly Thai To. Gasoline-powered motorbikes and mopeds are barred from these streets from 6pm to midnight on Fridays, and from 6am to midnight on Saturdays and Sundays. Petrol motorbikes working for app-based ride-hailing platforms face a full-time ban inside the zone, not only during those weekend hours.

The first enforcement weekend ran from Friday 3 July to Sunday 5 July 2026. Riders who needed to reach an address inside the cordon were told to dismount and walk their motorbikes rather than face a fine. Checkpoint staff, patrols, and loudspeaker announcements handled opening weekend instead of citations; one officer at the Dao Duy Tu and Ma May intersection said most residents complied despite it being the first day.

How did it happen?

The pilot traces back to Prime Minister’s Directive No. 20/CT-TTg, issued on 12 July 2025, which tasked Hanoi with rolling out a low-emission zone. The city’s Department of Agriculture and Environment drafted the plan with the Department of Construction and city police. Hanoi’s People’s Council adopted a framework resolution in November 2025, then approved the detailed rollout at a specialised session on 15 June 2026, based on a proposal from the People’s Committee.

Officials chose the 0.5-square-kilometre Old Quarter core, home to about 20,000 residents, as the starting point because it combines Hanoi’s densest tourist and retail traffic with a compact, well-defined street grid that made checkpoint enforcement practical for a first test.

Why does it matter?

Ministry of Agriculture and Environment research covering 2023 to 2025 found transport generates around 25% of Hanoi’s citywide PM2.5 pollution, rising to 59% of the pollution generated within the city itself. A Hang Ngang Street resident, Thu Huong, 28, said she supports the policy for a cleaner environment but that people need time to adapt. Ahead of the ban, demand for electric two-wheelers picked up, with mid-range e-scooters priced roughly $760 to $1,140 selling briskly and some higher-end models running into temporary shortages.

What were the key results?

• 11 named streets restricted in Hoan Kiem’s Old Quarter core from 1 July 2026
• Ban hours: 6pm-midnight Fridays; 6am-midnight Saturdays and Sundays
• App-based ride-hailing petrol motorbikes banned inside the zone full-time
• About 20,000 residents live inside the 0.5 sq km pilot area
• Phase 2 expands to Cua Nam ward in 2027, covering 3.6 sq km and 136,947 residents
• Phase 3 covers all of Ring Road 1 by 2028-2029: roughly 26 sq km, nine wards, about 625,000 residents

What happens next?

Hanoi’s roadmap adds Hoan Kiem’s neighbouring Cua Nam ward in 2027, then expands to the roughly 26-square-kilometre area inside Ring Road 1 by 2029, covering nine wards and about 625,000 residents. A further extension to Ring Road 3 is planned for around 2030, reaching 36 wards and communes citywide.

Enforcement is expected to shift from warnings toward fines as riders adjust to the restricted streets. Hanoi’s Department of Agriculture and Environment will track compliance and air quality data from this pilot before finalising the rules for phase two.