Time to Get a Magical Broomstick: Hà Nội’s Plan to Ban Gas-Powered Motorbikes

Chân Nhồi Bông wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luat Khoa Magazine on July 15, 2025. 

The government has tasked Hà Nội with developing a roadmap to restrict—and eventually phase out—gas-powered motorbikes in certain inner-city areas, with a target date as early as July 1, 2026.

Imagine this: one morning, you're wheeling out your bike to head to work. But today is different. Just past the ring road, a massive sign greets you: “LOW EMISSION ZONE – NO GAS-POWERED VEHICLES ALLOWED.” You glance around, see no one in sight, and promptly turn around.

That’s when the new reality hits you: without your motorbike, your commute is now a three-kilometer walk to the nearest bus stop, two bus transfers, and then another kilometer on foot to reach your office.

At that moment, you might just find yourself seriously considering an investment in a flying broomstick. After all, what’s more practical than a vehicle that needs no fuel, no electricity, no emissions check—and best of all—flies above every traffic jam and broken sidewalk?

Where and When Will Hà Nội Enforce the Ban?

This is no joke—Hà Nội is seriously planning to ban gasoline-powered vehicles. Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính recently issued a directive aimed at strengthening measures to combat air pollution, which tasks the city with this effort. The proposal includes a plan to prohibit motorbikes from operating within the city’s inner Ring Road 1 starting July 1, 2026.

To put it simply, if you live in Thanh Xuân and commute to work in Hoàn Kiếm, your gas-powered motorbike is about to become a relic. The big question, then, is who will still be allowed to ride? The ironic answer seems to be: only those who live and work far enough from the city center that they never needed to enter it in the first place.

How Are People Supposed to Get Around?

The last time I visited Hà Nội, nearly a year ago, one thing remained vivid in my mind: the traffic was every bit as chaotic as Sài Gòn’s. Motorbikes, cars, bicycles, and trucks were all jammed together, playing the same game we play in the south: fill in the blanks. 

It’s not hard to understand why. In a city of narrow roads, too many vehicles, and urban planning that seems to follow a “build first, draw the map later” philosophy, “every person for themselves” becomes the default rule of the road.

In this environment, the motorbike has always been the most practical tool for survival. It’s easy to operate, nimble enough to weave through traffic, and far more affordable than a car. Let’s be honest—motorbikes have never been “green.” They’re loud, dusty, and occasionally spew smoke. But nothing has ever been more essential for navigating a Vietnamese city.

The motorbike is how a street sweeper gets to work at 4 a.m., long before the metro wakes up. It’s how a delivery rider handles five orders at once. It’s how parents pick up two kids from two different schools and still make it to their afternoon shift on time. It is how people in Hà Nội and Sài Gòn survive in cities not built for pedestrians or for anyone who can’t afford a car.

And now, this very vehicle—the one holding up an already fragile urban infrastructure—is being marked for elimination. Not because it isn’t useful, but simply because it isn’t “green.”

What About Switching to Electric Bikes?

“Switch to electric. It’s more environmentally friendly. More civilized.”

The argument sounds reasonable, and corporate giants like VinFast—Việt Nam’s domestic electric vehicle company—are ready to capitalize on it, offering a range of incentives from trade-in programs to reduced registration fees. But what happens when we come back down to reality?

First, there's the logistical nightmare of charging. For the large share of inner-city workers living in apartment buildings or rented rooms, where are they supposed to charge their bikes? Where are the accessible public charging stations? No one seems to have a clear answer.

Then there is the prohibitive cost. Even with discounts, an electric bike costing 15–20 million đồng is simply unaffordable for the low-income households, day laborers, and informal workers who rely on secondhand gas motorbikes worth 5–6 million đồng. 

Finally, there is the hidden long-term burden: battery degradation after 18–24 months is a fact, and the high cost of replacement is a financial blow that many cannot shoulder.

It Might Be the Time to Get Yourself a Magical Broomstick

“European transportation, African infrastructure”—that’s a comment I saw this morning, buried among thousands of others online. It perfectly captures the dilemma.

Restricting gas-powered vehicles isn’t inherently wrong. But such a move can only succeed when viable alternative solutions exist that align with the country’s lived realities. People deserve the freedom to choose—not just between brands, but the freedom to continue using what works for them during a proper transition period.

If the infrastructure and current living conditions don’t support such a change, then insisting that millions must “go electric” is simply shifting the burden of emissions from the air to people’s wallets.

But every cloud has a silver lining. In a future where people can’t afford a new bike, can’t find a place to charge it, and can’t travel far for fear of running out of battery, the flying broomstick suddenly emerges as the most logical option. It needs no gas, no electricity, and has no dependence on a weak infrastructure. This might be the moment to consider getting one seriously. Harry Potter’s Nimbus 2000, for instance, would be an excellent choice.