Green transport is simply understood as a combination of solutions for participating in movement that limit harmful emissions into the environment; so, the key to this problem is not just the use of zero-emission vehicles but the integration of solutions.

The bicycle rental model encourages people to reduce their impact on the environment. Photo: L.T

In the context that Da Nang has a majority of private car users, organising traffic with low social costs, harmonising the urban environment, in accordance with the urban land use model is also an acceptable solution.

The city has many subsidised intra-city bus routes and the bicycle rental model encourages people to reduce their impact on the environment. The most recent is the handshake with Quang Nam Province in seeking capital to implement the MRT (mass rapid transit) line in the future between the two localities. This is one of the solutions that contributes to limiting the need to use personal motor vehicles and towards a sustainable green transport system.

Encourage emission reduction

Under the action programme on green energy transition, reducing carbon and methane emissions of the transport sector approved by the national government, the overall goal is to develop a green transport system, towards target of net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.

This is an opportunity for the transport industry to develop synchronously in the direction of modernisation and sustainability, catching up with the trend and advanced development level in the world. In the general process of the whole country, if Da Nang regards this as an opportunity, it is completely possible to emerge as a pioneer.

Da Nang does have advantages as it has identified the oriented goals of becoming ‘environmentally-friendly city’, ‘smart city’, ‘tourist city’ are completely suitable for the development of an environmentally friendly transport network.

According to the Da Nang Department of Industry and Trade, the city has released proposal on locations to build electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, a mechanism to encourage the development of EVs across the city. Accordingly, Da Nang is the first locality of other countries to have a project to develop EV charging stations, thus heading towards sustainable development, building an image of a dynamic, green, clean and beautiful city.

Emission reduction and green transport development are also concretised in the environmentally-friendly city building project for the 2021 - 2030 period. Specifically, one of the four criteria groups has given very specific roadmaps for the development of environmentally- friendly public passenger transport.

As for specific parameters, by 2025, 100% of the public transport by bus will meet Euro 4 emission standards. By 2030, 25% of the public buses will run on electric motors.

As part of an effort to develop environmentally-friendly transport, in 2022, the city and other two major cities in Viet Nam have implemented a research programme to build the project ‘The pilot control of motorcycle emissions in the city’, which applies a policy of controlling motorcycle emissions through periodic inspection and maintenance in order to gain many benefits such as being able to effectively control emissions and reduce vehicle fuel consumption as well as.

Through the programme, about 3,754 motorcycles have been tested for pre-maintenance emissions for more than 5 years, of which more than 25% of vehicles did not meet the standards.

It is estimated that the number of motorbikes in the city has exceeded one million, accounting for more than 90% of the total vehicles. It is worth mentioning that the number of motorbikes that have been used for more than 10 years, accounting for nearly 60%, will continuously increase the level of air pollutant emissions if the vehicles are not well maintained.

Mr. Vo Nguyen Chuong, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Natural Resources and Environment, acknowledged that with the speed of urbanisation and population growth, the city faces problems related to the air environment.

In particular, the operation of means of transport is considered to be one of the sources of emissions of air pollutants. This is a problem arising in urban management that the city needs to control as soon as possible. To do this, in the coming time, the city will cling to the goal of reducing emissions. Along with that, it is integrated with the project of reducing personal vehicles.

Friendly traffic

Compared to other Vietnamese big cities such as Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi, Da Nang boasts the advantage of well-invested transport infrastructure. Thanks to the careful preparation, up to this point of time, Da Nang is still confident that it is a first-class city that rarely has congestion and traffic jams. To do this, the city has focused on developing transport infrastructure such as bridges and roads, as well as new means of transport over the years. Alongside with that, the city gives priority to the enhancement of public transport combined with the control of personal vehicles along streets.

The must-do task for the city is to slow down the progress of joining the ‘urban traffic jam club’ in the context of being in the top cities in terms of car per capita rate of over 11%. Therefore, for many years, the project of controlling the development of personal motor vehicles in traffic has headed towards the goal of gradually reducing the need to use and own personal motor vehicles in traffic, especially cars with up to 9 seaters, motorcycles and mopeds.

Under this project, parking management will be strengthened on the main traffic axes during peak hours, streets with a road surface width of less than 5.5m in the central Hai Chau District. In addition, heed will be paid to gradually expanding the time and scope of the parking ban and increase the fee for temporary use of the roadway for cars in the inner city.

In addition, the city has also gradually expanded the public passenger transport network as well as enhanced the application of IT and automated technology to provide solutions for traffic management. Promoting the process of positively changing people's consciousness and habits from using personal vehicles to other modes such as walking, cycling, public transport as a central task.

According to Mr. Ngo Quang Anh, a resident of Cam Le District, who often goes to work by bus in the city centre, the operation of public buses has prove effective as they are clean, equipped with air conditioning, travelling on schedule, along with hospitable service attitude. “Clearly, this type of public transport brings too many benefits to he community, just meeting the mobility needs of the people, especially the elderly and students”

Reporting by LY TRUONG - Translating by A.THU