Motorbikes are the saviors of HCMC urban traffic

Singapore with its efficient subway system? Bangkok with its vast highway network? Jakarta with its rapid bus services?

Surprisingly, the answer is Ho Chi Minh City.

When working on the master plan for the city, I came to believe that the key to the city's development lies in amplifying what already works. To identify these "bright spots," we surveyed and ranked major Southeast Asian cities including Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, and HCMC based on more than 40 indicators of economic competitiveness.

The results were plotted on a three-dimensional chart that captured each city's regional ranking, the importance of each indicator, and its improvement trend over time.

Despite scoring low in road network coverage and public transport availability, HCMC ranked first in average commuting time, just 30 minutes from home to work.

This even surpassed Singapore, a city lauded for its flawless infrastructure and efficiency.

What explains this paradox? Two elements often criticized: motorbikes and townhouses.

Motorbikes, which account for nearly 90% of vehicles in the city, are commonly blamed for congestion and pollution. That criticism is somewhat justified: the city's road network is limited, and the number of personal vehicles is overwhelming.

But if those 8.4 million motorbikes were converted into cars, the entire city would be paralyzed by gridlock.

Motorbikes, in fact, are the unsung heroes of urban transportation in Vietnam. With their flexibility, low operating costs and compact form, they are ideally suited to navigate the narrow, crowded streets of HCMC.

Even when the city's ambitious 355-kilometer metro network is fully operational, motorbikes will remain indispensable as a last-mile connection between home and station.

Townhouses, another defining feature of the city, play a similarly critical role. In a city where the private sector leads economic activity and 85% of businesses have fewer than 10 employees, townhouses serve as both homes and business premises.

They enable residents to live close to their workplaces and customers, reducing commuting times and contributing to the city's economic dynamism.

From an urban economic perspective, the proximity between jobs, markets and housing is a powerful driver of prosperity.

But what about the downsides, namely noise and air pollution? The solution lies in electrification.

Instead of asking, "How do we eliminate motorbikes?" we should be asking, "How can we make motorbikes cleaner, quieter and smarter, while continuing to serve the city in ways no other vehicle can?"

The city’s program to convert 400,000 ride-hailing motorbikes to electric is a bold first step.

But this should be just the beginning.

We must set our sights higher, converting all 8.4 million motorbikes in the city to electric.

Two ride-hailing service drivers using gasoline-fuelled (L) and electric motorbikes in HCMC. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Tung

Let’s do the math.

If every motorbike in the city went electric, we could cut about 2.1 million tons of CO2 emissions annually, nearly 4% of the city’s total greenhouse gas output.

Harmful pollutants like carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter will drop by up to 50%.

These numbers translate into tangible human benefits. According to the World Health Organization, roughly 10,000 premature deaths in HCMC each year are linked to air pollution. About 30% of these are attributed to motorbike emissions.

Electrification could prevent 1,200 premature deaths annually, saving an estimated US$120 million in economic losses.

Another 24,000 cases of respiratory and cardiovascular illness could be avoided, reducing healthcare costs by more than $7 million.

The current electrification plan must overcome two key bottlenecks: affordability and disposal of old gas-powered bikes.

At VND30–40 million per vehicle, most drivers cannot afford to switch on their own. That's why the city is rolling out a combination of incentives and penalties - raising environmental taxes on older gasoline vehicles while offering subsidies, low-interest loans and tax breaks for electric ones.

Collaborations with both electric and gasoline vehicle manufacturers will also be necessary to facilitate recycling and industrial transition.

Motorbikes are the symbols of Vietnamese cities, embodying the Vietnamese spirit - open, adaptive and connected.

They carry not only people but also the rhythms of daily life and the chatter of the streets, and are the pulse of HCMC.

When they become cleaner and quieter, we are not just preserving a mode of transport - we are preserving a cultural identity.

Good urban planning starts with recognizing and scaling what already works.

Fully electrified motorbikes could shift the narrative - from being a problem to being the centerpiece of smarter, greener mobility.

They would perfectly complement the city's developing metro network, acting as a seamless last-mile solution.

With a smart strategy and commitment, HCMC can become a model for sustainable urban transport in Southeast Asia.

By electrifying the motorbike, Vietnam can build a greener, more livable future on the back of its most familiar vehicle.

*Nguyen Do Dung is an expert in urban planning and smart agriculture.