City bikes

HCM City’s District 5 police starts patrolling on bikes. Photo vnexpress.net HCM CITY (VNS) – Following Hà Nội’s example, HCM City police will now start managing daily patrols on bicycles as a part of a pilot programme. The District 5 police is the first unit in the city to adopt a bicycle patrol instead of motorbikes or mini trucks, and 59 bikes were officially handed over to the force, which manages 15 wards, yesterday morning. District police Chief Colonel Nguyễn Văn Tiến said if the model proved effective, the district would receive another 51 bikes. He said the bicycle patrol would bring the law enforcement forces closer to the residents, while helping the police personnel get fit and save money from the budget at the same time. Ha Noi police piloted the bicycle programme last year across 12 wards in 12 districts. — VNS … [Read more...] about HCM City police to patrol on bikes

An overloaded parking lot in HCM City’s District 1. The city will increase parking fees in the downtown area from October 1 in an effort to attract investment in parking lots. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Tuyết Viet Nam News HCM CITY — HCM City authorities have decided to increase parking fees at all lots run by private operators in the inner city from October 1 . This is aimed at attracting more investment in building parking areas and reducing traffic in these areas. The new fees for bicycles and electric bikes in districts 1, 3 and 5 will be VNĐ2,000 (US$0.08) during the day, VNĐ4,000 ($0.17) at night, and VNĐ100,000 ($4.3) per month. Day is from 6am to 6pm. These will apply to schools, hospitals, markets, bus stations, supermarkets, entertainment places, cultural houses for children and youth, parks, and government offices. Motorbikes and electric motorcycles will be charged VNĐ4,000 for four hours during … [Read more...] about HCM City set to increase parking fees in public areas

Expatriates love Vietnam’s “city for bikes” By Nhan Tam A Spanish family cycling around town - PHOTOS: NHAN TAM Expat Life escorts expatriates riding bicycles around the ancient town of Hoi An—a paradise for cyclists to get around on their bikes Paul Thauvin, a Frenchman, together with his wife and three children, last week traveled to Hoi An after celebrating the New Year in the port city of Bordeaux, his hometown. They had planned to stay in the ancient town for one month in order to experience the local way of life. The French family had also heard praises of Hoi An from their friends. “Hoi An is so peaceful,” says Thauvin. “The green fields remind me of the French countryside.” Thauvin is taking a break on An Bang Bridge after cycling along the rice fields on Hai Ba Trung Street. Cycling along the Hoai River to discover local rice fields, visit Tra Que vegetables village, have lunch at An Bang beach and return to the hotel in the downtown area is their … [Read more...] about Expatriates love Vietnam’s “city for bikes”

Memories for a city By Mai Lan Young Saigonese ladies in their traditional ao dai in preparation for Tet, the Lunar New Year - PHOTO: THANH HOA Despite its rather young age compared with the country’s long history, Saigon-HCMC has had its own distinctions, some of which have embedded in the mind of Saigonese. When a child, I often desperately expected the holidays before the Lunar New Year, or Tet, to be picked by my uncle. My house at the time was used as both a fabric shop and a tailoring class on the former Truong Minh Giang Street (now Le Van Sy Street in HCMC’s District 3). My mother was so busy with her shop that an outing which fulfilled my wish was a sheer luxury to her. My uncle’s residence was a street-front house on Tran Binh Trong Street, now in District 5. I used to take a seat at the front door to watch the familiar horse carts every morning. I was appealed to the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves steadily knocking on the asphalted road, and the … [Read more...] about Memories for a city

City to pilot public bicycle service The Saigon Times Bikes are parked at a station in the University Village in Thu Duc District, HCMC. The HCMC Department of Transport has proposed a pilot public bicycle project - PHOTO: THANH HOA HCMC – The HCMC Department of Transport has proposed a pilot public bicycle project with 43 stations set up along major streets in the city. The department is collecting feedback from competent agencies and citizens on a public bicycle system named Mobike, according to Thanh Nien Online website. Tri Nam Group JSC, investor of the project, is planning to carry out a pilot phase in 12 months, during which it will provide 388 bicycles at 43 stations along major streets in District 1, as well as Dien Bien Phu and Vo Thi Sau Streets in District 3. Each station will have 10 to 20 bikes, each of which will be installed with smart locks and a GPS system. In order to use the service, residents will need to download the Mobike app on their … [Read more...] about City to pilot public bicycle service

HÀ NỘI (VNS) – Hà Nội Police are investigating local media reports that most police patrol bicycles are in mothballs in police stations in the Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Đông and Long Biên districts. The inspections are scheduled to be finished this weekend, Colonel Nguyễn Xuân Đình, head of the Police Department for Criminal Investigation of Social Order, told online newspaper Zing . Đình said the local media would soon be informed of the results of the inspection. The campaign to have police riding bicycles while on patrol kicked off last August in Hà Nội. More than 1,000 bikes, designed by the State-owned Thống Nhất Company, were given to police in 12 districts across the city. The campaign aimed to build a friendly image of the local police among the public. -- VNS … [Read more...] about Hà Nội inspects police patrol bikes

New public bus routes are inaugurated in the central city of Đà Nẵng, connecting the city’s downtown and eastern areas. VNS Photo Công Thành Viet Nam News ĐÀ NẴNG — In co-operation with Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), the central city yesterday officially debuted a new public bus route as part of Đà Nẵng’s urban traffic corridor improvement project. The bus route, which took two years of work and total investment of US$2.9 million, will help boost the city’s internal bus services by offering public car parking areas, bus stops and shuttle bus routes connecting residential quarters and public destinations. The project will also support commuters with free bike parking and smart parking at the departure bus station as well as bus tracking apps on mobile devices. As planned, commuters will get a one-year complementary ticket as well as free wi-fi service on the bus. The bus routes, which use eight 50-seat buses, will operate from 5.45am to 8.45pm everyday. General … [Read more...] about Central city debuts new public bus routes

Bạch Đằng Street in Đà Nẵng is one of 15 now designed for alternate day parking. — VNS Photo Công Thành Viet Nam News ĐÀ NẴNG — The central city of Đà Nẵng has added five streets where parking is only allowed on odd or even dates in the two downtown districts of Hải Châu and Thanh Khê. Deputy director of the city’s Transport Department, Nguyễn Đăng Huy, said these streets were Phan Bội Châu, Xuân Diệu, Dũng Sĩ Thanh Khê, Thanh Khê 6 and Đặng Thai Mai streets. The rule will takes effect on September 1. He said signs had been placed informing drivers of the changes and the department’s inspection team would start issuing fines from October 1. Last year, the city started a pilot project on odd and even day car parking in 10 downtown streets to ease congestion. The city also plans to build a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) parking garage at the junction of Ông Ích Khiêm-Đống Đa and Trần Cao Vân streets, offering 309 spaces for cars and over 3,000 for … [Read more...] about Central city adds odd and even day parking streets

An old street in Hội An is reserved as a non-engine vehicle zone. The city plans to develop more spaces for pedestrians and bicycles. — VNS Photo Công Thành Viet Nam News HỘI AN — The ancient city has developed a master plan to boost the mass use of bicycles among community members and tourists, as part of efforts to make Hội An a capital of eco-friendly tourism in Việt Nam. Architect Đinh Đang Hải from HeathBridge Việt Nam said at a workshop on the development of a comprehensive bicycle plan in Hội An on Wednesday that more than 100 parks, communal gardens and neighbourhood sites have been built to create favourable conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. The workshop, a prelude to the "Establishing a Comprehensive Bicycle Plan and Free/low-cost Bicycle Sharing Programme in Hội An City" project, was held in co-operation with HeathBridge Việt Nam and the city with funding from the German development agency (GIZ). The project won the Global Urban Mobility Challenge Award … [Read more...] about Hội An set to become a bicycle city

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ will provide public bicycle rental services on a pilot basis this year, Lê Tiến Dũng, deputy director of the city’s Transport Department, said last Sunday. — Photo hanoimoi.vn CẦN THƠ — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ will provide public bicycle rental services on a pilot basis this year, Lê Tiến Dũng, deputy director of the city’s Transport Department, said last Sunday. The rentals will be placed in areas with many travellers, such as Lưu Hữu Phước, Ninh Kiều and Sông Hậu parks and Cái Khế Islet. The rental services, which will be funded by private investors, will be automated. Users will insert rental fees in machines and then take their bikes which can be returned at any bike rental spot. The city will be responsible for providing areas for bicycle services, which will be managed by GPS devices. Infrastructure construction and operation will be taken care of by private investors. The pilot programme aims to improve … [Read more...] about Cần Thơ to pilot public bicycle rental services