The public bicycle service in Hanoi has failed to attract residents and tourists after being put to use in August last year.
Despite being in busy locations like parks, gardens, and schools, most public bicycle stations have remained unused. For instance, the station on Hoang Cau Street in Dong Da District has 20 bicycles left idle, while those on Lang Street face a similar fate.
The public bicycle service in Hanoi has failed to attract residents and tourists after being put to use in August last year
Following a year of piloting the service, Tri Nam Group has deployed 700 bicycles across 88 stations in six districts. So far, the service has attracted 208,000 registered users, with an average of nearly 700 new sign-ups daily. Roughly 340,000 trips have been made, equal to 1,100 rides daily.
Despite being exempt from usage fees during the pilot stage, the public bicycle service has yet to turn a profit. The trial's investment cost exceeded VND6.4 billion (USD253,964), while revenue has been estimated at just VND3.7 billion.
Dr Nguyen Xuan Thuy, former Director of the Transport Publishing House, stated that while the public bicycle pilot model is a good initiative, it has still struggled to draw public interest due to inadequate infrastructure and a lack of dedicated bicycle lanes on many streets.
The second reason is commuting habits. Thirdly, the current procedures for using the public bicycle service hinder older people, as everything is managed online.
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