If you have ever been to Hanoi, or if you visit the city one day, you are likely to experience the same moment.
One morning, you find yourself standing at the edge of the road, holding a cup of coffee that has already gone cold, waiting for the right moment to cross. Not because the distance is far—barely ten meters—but because the stream of motorbikes seems almost endless.
Engines roar. Motorbikes approach from directions that feel illogical to a pedestrian. After a few days in the city, the initial frustration slowly turns into routine.
Yet the confusion remains. How does this work every single day, without traffic lights that are truly obeyed, without major accidents at every intersection?
A Country That Lives on Two Wheels
Vietnam is among the countries with the highest levels of motorbike ownership in the world. According to Motorcycles Data, around 209,000 electric motorbikes were sold in Vietnam in the first half of 2025 alone, making it the third-largest electric motorbike market globally, after China and India.
Overall, Vietnam’s two-wheeler market is estimated to reach US$4.6 billion in 2025, based on data from Mordor Intelligence.
Out of a population of roughly 100 million, there are about 77 million registered motorbikes—or approximately 770 units per 1,000 people, one of the highest ownership ratios worldwide.
In Hanoi, the number of motorbikes is estimated at around 6.1 million, alongside nearly 700,000 cars. Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City is home to more than 7.3 million motorbikes and approximately 630,000 cars, according to data from Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
When Urban Charm Collides with Pollution
Living on two wheels, however, comes at a high cost. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment shows that in Hanoi, road traffic accounts for up to 96% of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), 92% of carbon monoxide (CO), and 87% of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions.
Most of these emissions come from motorbikes, particularly older vehicles that no longer meet current emission standards.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the situation is not much different. Motorbikes contribute 97.8% of CO emissions and 69.2% of NOx emissions. The primary reasons are the sheer number of vehicles, many of them aging and non-compliant with emission standards, combined with relatively weak enforcement.
For travelers, the impact is immediate. Stinging eyes while walking, the smell of gasoline clinging to clothes, and a thin haze hanging in the air become part of the urban experience—details rarely featured in travel brochures, yet difficult to ignore.
Roads as a Space of Constant Negotiation
Another challenge lies in how road space is used. During peak hours, cars often form five to six parallel lines on streets that were never designed to accommodate such density.
On roads such as Nguyen Trai Street, cars frequently occupy almost the entire carriageway, forcing motorbikes to squeeze through narrow gaps or ride onto the sidewalks. Around the Nga Tu So overpass, cars regularly stop in double rows—even though the road is designated for mixed traffic—while motorbikes inch forward through whatever space remains.
Disputes are inevitable. Some residents blame cars for dominating the roads, while others point to motorcyclists, accusing them of ignoring lane markings and traffic rules.
Minor accidents have become routine. Motorbikes skid, personal belongings spill onto the road, and small crowds quickly form, events that unfold with little surprise. Hanoi’s streets are a shared space that is harsh, fast-moving, and not always forgiving, yet largely accepted as part of the city’s daily life.
A City (Perhaps) Ready to Change Its Rhythm
Hanoi’s authorities recognize that this pattern cannot continue indefinitely. Starting 1 July 2026, gasoline-powered motorbikes will be restricted within Ring Road 1.
The restrictions will expand to Ring Road 2 in 2028 and Ring Road 3 in 2030, as announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment during the “Green Energy – Clean City” forum.
These measures align with the Air Quality Management Plan through 2030, with a long-term vision extending to 2035. Official monitoring data shows that PM2.5 concentrations in Hanoi frequently exceed the 25 µg/m³ threshold, at times reaching 40 µg/m³.
Beginning 1 January 2027, all motorbikes and mopeds in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will also be required to undergo emissions testing, before the policy is rolled out nationwide in 2030, according to the draft National Technical Regulation on Motor Vehicle Emissions.
Learning to Live with the Noise
For travelers, Hanoi’s noise may feel exhausting at first, before fading into a backdrop that is difficult to forget. The city does not offer tranquility, but honesty, about how millions of people move, negotiate space, and get by each day.
For now, Hanoi continues to live by a rhythm that is loud and dense. Yet behind the horns and exhaust fumes, the city is trying to learn how to breathe more freely, slowly, gradually, and with many compromises along the way.
