( Motorbike swarm on the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam. /CFP）

In Vietnam, the roar of motorbikes never truly stops, whether in the early morning or late at night. A single motorbike often serves a family for over a decade, used for picking up children, grocery shopping, starting small businesses, or delivering goods. Motorbikes are not only convenient but also economical, with low purchase costs, simple maintenance, and flexible parking.

In Vietnam, motorbikes are the backbone of urban life.

( In Luc Ngan District, Bac Giang Province, Vietnamese farmers ride motorbikes to transport lychees to collection points for sale. /CFP)

More than just a means of transport, they represent a way of living, a rhythm of the city, and a grounded form of flight. In a country where streets are narrow and traffic is dense, motorbikes fill the gaps left by limited public transport and slow urban expansion. They weave through French colonial architecture and old-town alleys, pause beside night market stalls, school gates, and lakeside benches.

( In Vietnam, a motorbike often serves a family for over a decade, from picking up children and grocery shopping to starting a business and delivering goods. /CFP)

More importantly, motorbikes have become part of personal identity and emotional expression. Young people decorate their bikes with stickers, flags, and trinkets. Couples ride through the city together. Even wedding processions are often formed entirely by motorbikes. Many artists, photographers, and documentary filmmakers have explored “Vietnamese motorbike culture” as a central theme, capturing its unique urban aesthetics and everyday human stories.

( On a street in Vietnam, a resident rides a motorbike loaded with large geese. /CFP)

Amid rapid development, motorbikes serve as a kind of equalizer in Vietnamese cities: found in both old quarters and suburban villages, used by both the middle class and blue-collar workers alike. 

( People commute on motorbikes and in cars through the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam. /CFP)

According to the Vietnam Times, as of September 2024, there were over 77 million registered motorbikes in Vietnam, roughly one for every 1.3 people, making it one of the countries with the highest motorbike density in the world. In the capital, Hanoi, around 7 million motorbikes crowd the streets, far exceeding the city’s road capacity. Walking through Vietnam can feel like wading through a sea of motorbikes.

Yet this vibrant motorbike culture is approaching a turning point.

In July 2025, the Vietnamese government officially announced that, starting July 1, 2026, fuel-powered motorbikes will be banned from entering Hanoi’s inner Ring Road 1 (the city center) with plans to gradually expand the ban until all fuel-powered motorbikes are phased out from the urban core by 2030.

( Countless motorbikes fill the roads of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. /CFP）

Behind this policy lies the growing pressure of air pollution and traffic congestion. Data shows that PM2.5 levels in Hanoi consistently exceed safe limits, with motorbike emissions being one of the main sources. Noise, accidents, and the challenges of managing millions of motorbikes have also driven the government to push for reform.

( On July 23, 2025, a parking lot in Hanoi, Vietnam is filled with newly launched electric motorbikes. /CFP)

Hanoi authorities say the initial phase of the policy will focus on improving public transportation, including expanding electric bus fleets and metro lines. At the same time, the city plans to promote electric motorbikes as replacements for fuel-powered ones, along with building a supporting charging infrastructure.

This motorbike ban is more than a transportation shift; it marks a deeper transformation of urban culture and structure. How to balance environmental goals with livelihoods, order with freedom? How to pursue higher-quality development without erasing the city’s vibrant street life? These are the questions now facing Hanoi and Vietnam as a whole.

It’s foreseeable that the streets once carved by millions of motorbike trails will slowly fall silent. And the memory of this motorbike kingdom may one day fade into a worn photograph, tucked away in the collective memory of its people.