Hoi An is a huge success after 20 years of banning motorbikes, visitors want to ban them completely17

Exactly 20 years ago, the decision to make a pedestrian street, a non-motorized street was applied by Hoi An and received strong response from tourists and locals. Hoi An has truly transformed.

Motorbikes running in the old quarter - Photo: BD

With what is available, many tourists and Hoi An residents now want a stronger decision. Instead of banning by time frame, many opinions suggest that motorbikes should be banned from entering and leaving the old town.

20 years of Hoi An as a city without engine noise

Recently, when hearing the news that Hoi An is planning to take Tran Phu Street - "the most beautiful street in the world " - along with Nguyen Thi Minh Khai to build a model neighborhood, a street without street vendors, without beggars, without engines, a street of "Hoi An with kind hearts" ... many tourists and locals expressed their excitement. "Hoi An is very impressive to me but I feel unhappy because of the sound of car horns. Walking in the middle of the beautiful old town with so many emotions, but the sound of motorbike horns is still loud. The government should limit and gradually completely ban honking in the old town, then spread throughout Hoi An. There should be signs prohibiting honking in the old town, school areas, temples, hospitals, residential areas ... At the same time, there should be measures to punish so that the old town becomes more civilized and kind" - reader Tri Bui sent his opinion to Tuoi Tre Online . According to the records, on June 11, 2004, the project "ancient town without the sound of motorbike engines" was approved by Hoi An town (now Hoi An city). From July 24 of that year, the project was put into testing and then officially applied, immediately creating a good effect.

Currently, motorbikes are still allowed to enter and exit the old quarter according to schedule - Photo: BD

Talking about the context of the plan to ban vehicles from entering the old town according to the time frame, the leader of Hoi An City said that in 2004, the number of motorbikes had increased many times compared to 1999 - when UNESCO recognized Hoi An as a world cultural heritage . The increase in vehicles has caused a significant impact on traffic. Noise pollution, especially the safety of visitors, is not guaranteed when both pedestrians and motorbikes share the same road. Visitors cannot fully enjoy the beauty of the old town space. Faced with this situation, Hoi An assigned the Center for Culture and Sports (now the Center for Culture, Information and Communication) to research and establish a project for a street without the sound of motorbike engines. On June 11, 2004, Hoi An conducted a trial and then applied it in practice. During the implementation process, the agencies required people to strictly comply with the contents such as not operating noisy engines and limiting noise from production. Street vendors and health scales are not allowed to play music, motorbikes do not operate when passing through barriers to enter the walking street... Looking back at the process of banning vehicles, Hoi An City People's Committee believes that the pedestrian street project has become an indispensable product for locals and tourists. The number of visitors has skyrocketed, visitors enjoy walking in the quiet space and enjoying the gentle instrumental music; watching the street, shopping, taking photos without fear of being affected by noise or being hit by motorbikes. "Hoi An is proud that the mass media always praises this as the only locality in the country that can regularly and stably organize and maintain an entire ancient town without the sound of engines" - the report summarizing the project to ban vehicles in Hoi An's ancient town stated.

Can we ban cars altogether?

The Hoi An Center for Culture, Sports and Broadcasting said that the ban on vehicles entering the old town has been applied for the past 20 years and has been adjusted many times. Currently, Hoi An does not allow motor vehicles to enter the old town at all hours of the day, including holidays. Motorbikes are banned from 9am to 9pm every day. People living and working in the old town are allowed to use motorbikes to enter and exit from 11am to 3pm for convenience in daily life.

Hoi An now bans motor vehicles - Photo: BD

Many tourists to Hoi An are fascinated by the quiet, peaceful image of the old town. Walking down the quiet streets with rows of bougainvillea, looking at the time-stained windows opening out into space and the moss-covered tiles are a feeling that cannot be found anywhere else. The beauty of Hoi An is inseparable from the peace, familiarity, and depth. Talking to reporters, representatives of many travel companies and the community that loves Hoi An all hope that the city will ban motorbikes completely instead of banning them by the current time frame. Before this becomes a reality, it is very necessary to have a regulation that prohibits honking when driving in the old town.

Hoi An people join hands to preserve the ancient town space

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online reporters, a representative of the Hoi An City People's Committee said that there are still quite a large number of residents living in the old town. A complete ban on vehicles will more or less affect the people. However, in the long term, the idea of ​​banning vehicles at all hours can be considered to make Hoi An more peaceful and safe. Regarding the use of motorbike horns, according to the leader of Hoi An City, the city has not yet banned them, but related projects such as Hoi An - a gentle and kind people, the project to build an ecological and cultural tourism city, etc. all have content that includes propaganda for the community to join hands. People living in the old town are also quite tactful. However, there are still some people who still abuse their horns when passing by, causing inconvenience to visitors. This will continue to be propagated and recommended so that the community can join hands to preserve a peaceful, safe and hospitable Hoi An. Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hoi-an-thanh-cong-vang-doi-sau-20-nam-cam-xe-may-khach-muon-cam-han-20241015110201826.htm