Traveling by motorbike: A habit that cannot be changed

Motorbikes are the means of transport chosen by many people when traveling. Photo: XUAN SON

Convenience

As a marketing employee of Phu Vinh Construction Company Limited, Mr. Nguyen Thuong Dong mainly travels by motorbike to work, go out and shop. “It is the most convenient means of transport for me. Firstly, I am flexible in moving, such as going to work, I can stop by a restaurant for breakfast or buy a drink. Secondly, I can take the initiative with my time, I don’t have to wait for other means of transport to pick me up and drop me off,” Mr. Dong shared.

While working at the Inspectorate of the Department of Construction of Quang Nam province (now the Inspectorate of the Department of Construction of Da Nang city), inspector Dang Cong Quyen often rode a motorbike from his home in Tra Long village (Thang Dien commune) to Tam Ky. Mr. Quyen said that choosing a motorbike to travel helps him be proactive in terms of travel or time, such as going out for lunch, and stopping by the market in the afternoon to shop. While riding a motorbike, he can freely stop to rest if he feels tired. Now working in the inner city, he keeps the habit of riding a motorbike, occasionally taking the bus or hitching a ride with a colleague's car.

Students choose to ride motorbikes because of the convenience and flexibility of the vehicle. Photo: CONG TU

The distance from his home to the factory in Hoa Cam Industrial Park where engineer Tran Thanh Binh is working is about 7km. With such a distance, engineer Binh mainly drives a motorbike to work. Engineer Binh said: “I choose to ride a motorbike because of its flexibility. Besides, there is currently no bus route from my home to Hoa Cam Industrial Park.”

Similarly, as a construction worker, Mr. Nguyen Van Muoi (Thu Bon commune) often goes to Thang Binh to work on private-invested civil works. Although the distance is more than 20km, he still regularly rides his motorbike. He shared that there is no bus route from his home to the construction site, and with his meager salary, he cannot afford to buy a car.

For most families today, a motorbike is not too expensive so it is easy to buy. Along with that, the convenience and flexibility in moving is something everyone can feel.

Not easy to change

Nguyen Duc Duc, a student of the Faculty of Electricity, University of Technology (University of Danang ), shared that taking the bus is very convenient because it has air conditioning when it's sunny, and you don't have to wear a raincoat when it's raining, and you only pay 5-6 thousand VND and get taken more than ten kilometers. On the bus, I also take the time to review my lessons.

A bus route running within the city. Photo: XUAN SON

However, the bus does not have a system to notify the exact arrival time, so sometimes I do not know whether the bus I need to take has passed or not. “I was once late for an exam because the bus was late. And we students are very afraid of being late for an exam or missing roll call. One time like that, I gave up on the bus and went back to commuting by motorbike. If there was a system to notify the exact arrival time to the minute like in Japan, we would definitely use the bus more,” Duc said.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thuong Dong, if he wants to take the bus, he has to wait for the bus or choose a bus that does not coincide with the working hours of his office. In addition, traveling to the bus station is very far for him. If he walks, it takes time, if he wants to be fast, he has to call a Grab which is quite expensive.

Mr. Dang Cong Quyen shared that the time to travel to work during the day is mainly in the morning from 5 to 7:30 am; in the afternoon from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm. However, during this time, the number of people traveling by bus is crowded, and the Da Nang - Tam Ky route is small, with few seats, so many passengers have to stand for 1 to 2 hours, which is very tiring; and if they wait for the next trip, they will be late for work.

Mr. Dang Cong Quyen said that most people have the habit of using motorbikes partly due to some shortcomings of public transport mentioned above, although they know that riding a motorbike is less safe than the bus, moving in the rain is even more difficult. I think the operating unit can increase the monthly ticket, but there must be seats for passengers. During rush hours, more vehicles need to be added to avoid overloading.

Nguyen Duc Duc affirmed that many students will switch to using public transport if it meets at least two factors: saving time and being safer and more convenient than motorbikes. At the same time, if there is an application for booking and tracking time accurately like Grab, they will be ready to choose.

According to many experts, changing people’s motorbike usage habits is not easy, when the infrastructure is still inadequate. Therefore, in addition to communication work, the State needs to invest more in specialized infrastructure, modern vehicles and build more pick-up points.

After the merger, Da Nang City has a large area and a wide traffic system, so it needs lines like the Metro in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Only then can we meet the need to optimize travel time for commuting, working, and studying. This also contributes to changing the local appearance in the areas where the lines are located.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/di-chuyen-bang-xe-may-thoi-quen-chua-the-doi-3310182.html