A woman gets off an electric bus in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Hiếu

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội administration officially began the first phase of its pilot Low Emission Zone (LEZ) within Ring Road 1 from Wednesday.

The city is not imposing a blanket ban on petrol and diesel-powered motorcycles and cars across the entire Ring Road 1 area as originally intended.

Instead, restrictions will be introduced gradually and applied flexibly.

The LEZ covers nine wards of Hoàn Kiếm, Cửa Nam, Ba Đình, Giảng Võ, Ngọc Hà, Tây Hồ, Ô Chợ Dừa, Hai Bà Trưng,  and Văn Miếu - Quốc Tử Giám.

The first phase, running from July 1 to December 31, 2026, will be piloted in zones 1 and 2 of Hoàn Kiếm Ward.

The second phase, scheduled for 2027, will expand the pilot scheme to cover the whole of Hoàn Kiếm and Cửa Nam wards.

During the third phase, from 2028 to 2029, the LEZ will be extended across the entire Ring Road 1 area.

From 2030 onwards, the city plans to maintain stable operations while progressively enhancing the effectiveness of the scheme citywide.

The low-emission zone pilot map within Ring Road 1 in Hà Nội since July 1, 2026. — Photo vtv.vn

Emission scope

The scope of emissions control and applicable vehicle emission standards will be progressively expanded from 2027 and 2028 in line with the approved roadmap.

Within Zone 1 of Hoàn Kiếm Ward, all road vehicles, including motorcycles, mopeds and cars, will be prohibited from entering between 7 pm and midnight every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Priority vehicles, as defined by law, will be exempt and permitted to operate around the clock.

From January 1, 2027, priority vehicles and other vehicles authorised to enter restricted areas must comply with at least Level 4 emission standards.

From January 1, 2028, motorcycles and mopeds in these categories must meet Level 3 emission standards or above, except for vehicles managed by the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security.

Apart from the weekend evening vehicle ban in Zone 1, Hà Nội will encourage ride-hailing and app-based transport services using fossil fuel-powered motorcycles to limit their operations within the area.

The city is also encouraging owners of motorcycles manufactured or imported before 2016 to restrict their use in Zones 1 and 2 of Hoàn Kiếm Ward.

Residents are being encouraged to use public transport, non-motorised travel and switch to environmentally friendly vehicles.

Passenger coaches with more than 16 seats, excluding public buses and school buses, will only be permitted to operate outside peak hours. Those wishing to operate during peak periods must obtain written approval from the Hà Nội Police Department.

School buses, public buses, passenger vehicles with up to 16 seats and pick-up trucks are being encouraged to transition to clean-energy or green-energy vehicles, or vehicles meeting at least Level 4 emission standards.

Goods vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of under two tonnes will only operate outside peak hours unless they have written approval from the local Police Department.

Trucks weighing between two and 3.5 tonnes will only be permitted to operate between 9 pm and 6 am. Outside those hours, written permission from the police department will be required.

Trucks weighing more than 3.5 tonnes will also be restricted to operating between 9 pm and 6 am. Operations outside those hours will require written approval from either the local police department or the city’s Department of Construction, depending on their respective authority.

To facilitate travel within the low-emission zone, the city is offering free public bus travel, excluding commercial and tourist bus services, for journeys made within Ring Road 1 from July 1, 2026 until June 30, 2027.

The local Department of Agriculture and Environment has been tasked with leading implementation in coordination with the department of construction, the local police department and local authorities.

Responsibilities include traffic management, air quality monitoring and enforcement through a modern camera surveillance system.

220 parking facilities

The department of construction has worked with local authorities to identify and establish 220 car parks and parking sites around the low-emission zone to meet demand for vehicle parking.

As of Tuesday, the city had also installed 44 public bicycle stations with a total of 456 bicycles across Hoàn Kiếm and Cửa Nam wards, enabling residents to connect their journeys using green transport.

The city also plans to develop 10 park-and-ride facilities in Long Biên, Trần Khát Chân, Trần Khánh Dư, Trần Quang Khải, Yên Phụ, and near Thủ Lệ Park, allowing motorists to park their private vehicles before continuing their journeys by bus or urban railway.

As of today, 45 bus routes and route branches operate within Ring Road 1, including 29 with starting or terminating points inside the area and 16 passing through it.

The People's Committees of Hoàn Kiếm, Cửa Nam and Ba Đình wards, along with other relevant local authorities, are responsible for informing residents about vehicle restrictions and prohibited routes, while encouraging a transition to greener vehicles that comply with emission standards.

Under the plan, the pilot low-emission zone within Ring Road 1 will run from July 1 to December 31, 2026, providing the basis for the city to assess its effectiveness before considering wider implementation in the coming years. — VNS