Why are public bicycles unattractive?

Two years ago, Hai Phong residents first learned about the public bicycle service, hoping to promote green transportation. However, after two years of implementation, the service had to be temporarily suspended.

Public bicycle service to be deployed in Hai Phong city from 2023 (documentary photo).

People are not familiar

Having experienced public bicycles at a location near Tam Bac Lake, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lanh, Hong Bang Ward, shared: “The public bicycle location is near my house, so at first I used this service to take my children to school and work, both for work and to exercise. But after only a few times, I realized many inconveniences. The bike is not suitable for long distance travel, carrying a lot of luggage or when it rains. Limited infrastructure makes me have to walk a distance from the parking location to work. The process of opening the app, picking up and returning the bike takes time.”

The pilot project of public bicycle service invested by Tri Nam Group Joint Stock Company in Hai Phong city, implemented from February 2023, with 500 bicycles placed at 39 stations arranged by the City People's Committee on the sidewalks of the districts: Le Chan, Hong Bang and Ngo Quyen before. Each station is 10 - 15 m² wide, with 10 - 20 bicycles arranged in separate spaces. When deployed, the business expects to attract a large number of tourists , especially on Foodtour and Citytour itineraries.

Public bicycles are arranged by Tri Nam Group Corporation on some central streets.

In the early stages, the service was well received by locals and tourists. Mr. Pham Van Hai, a motorbike taxi driver who often picks up passengers near the public bicycle gathering point on Hoang Ngan Street, said: “At first, I saw many tourists choose public bicycles to experience the city center, visit some famous places such as museums, theaters... and then food tours. However, recently I have seen the number of people riding gradually decrease. Sometimes there are no riders all day. Now, the bikes are moving.”

Before Hai Phong city, in May 2022 (old Hai Duong city) was the third locality in the country to deploy a public bicycle service. Tri Nam Group Joint Stock Company was also the implementing unit. The company arranged 6 stations and 120 bicycles at the Provincial Sports Gymnasium, Bach Dang Park, Thanh Nien Street, Ton Duc Thang Street and 30/10 and Thong Nhat Squares. However, after just over a year of implementation, this service in Hai Duong had to stop operating.

According to a representative of Tri Nam Group Joint Stock Company, the reason why public bicycles have not attracted customers is due to sedentary habits. Many people are reluctant to ride bicycles because of the slow speed and do not want to walk a few hundred meters to the bus station. Others are not willing to pay for this service. The number of people riding public bicycles has gradually decreased, causing maintenance costs to increase, businesses to lose capital and have been forced to stop implementing them in many localities.

Need to find opportunities for redevelopment

Last May, Tri Nam Group Joint Stock Company stopped public bicycle service in Hai Phong city.

Although the public bicycle program has stopped, looking to the future, this service still plays a role in green urban development. In June 2025, Hai Phong city achieved the 5th Certificate of Environmentally Sustainable Potential City (COR). To achieve this certificate, the city needs to meet the criteria for sustainable development, including environmental management, efficient use of resources, biodiversity conservation and pollution reduction. In addition, there are criteria for the proportion of trees, air quality, public space area, and waste management. Applying green technology in transportation is also one of the important factors. Therefore, the public bicycle service, although a small piece, contributes to creating conditions for the city to achieve this certification.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Xo, Chairman of Hai Phong Tourism Association commented: “Bicycles are a popular means of transport in many developed countries. In suitable conditions, cycling helps save energy, reduce emissions, and protect the environment. Hai Phong City has all the conditions to continue developing public bicycles, towards green transport and a clean city. For this model to return, there needs to be coordination between the state and businesses, preferential policies, reasonable prices, and easy acceptance for people. The scale of services needs to be expanded, connecting many locations for convenient use. Only when conditions are met will people form the habit of riding public bicycles.”

According to Mr. Nguyen Dang Khoa, representative of Tri Nam Group Joint Stock Company, to overcome the limitations of traditional bicycles, the company plans to bring electric bicycles to Hai Phong city. The new type of bicycle helps people go faster, saves energy, and can carry bulky goods conveniently. This is an important step in the plan to bring public bicycle services back to many localities.

Although the service is temporarily suspended, Hai Phong residents and businesses still hope that, with careful calculation and the goal of "Green Hai Phong", public bicycles will be improved and become a popular green means of transport in the future in the Port City.

HAI MINH

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/vi-sao-xe-dap-cong-cong-thieu-hap-dan-524748.html