Hue, a city of history and culture, is now making waves as one of Vietnam’s most forward-thinking urban centers. On March 26^th, 2024 the city took a bold step by approving a comprehensive Bicycle Transportation Development plan for the period of 2024-2028. This decision to become a true “cycling city” positions Hue as a pioneer among Vietnamese cities.

A Vision for Sustainable Urban Transport

The Hue City Government’s vision is to create a supportive environment for people of all ages, including tourists, to use bicycles safely and conveniently in the city. This plan aims to promote greener, more ecological, sustainable, and safer modes of transportation. Key highlights of Hue’s Bicycle Transportation Development Plan include:

• Increase the share of bicycles on the road from 1.5% in 2023 to 3% in 2025, 5% in 2028, and more than 10% in 2030, with the aim to continue to increase in the following years.
• Develop bicycle infrastructure, such as a city-wide network of separate bicycle lanes, shared streets that prioritize bicycles, and enhanced safety measures.
• Establish a wide-coverage and well-connected public bike-sharing system. The plan includes expanding the system to 27 stations with 500 bicycles in 2023-2024, and further scaling up to 1,000 bicycles across 50 stations by 2025.
• Enhance enforcement of traffic laws and policies, to ensure bicycle prioritization and safety.
• Improve communication to raise public awareness of the benefits of cycling and encourage the transition from motorized vehicles to bicycles.
• Implement policies to incentivize the shift from motorized vehicles to bicycles, reduce private motorized vehicle usage, and allocate resources for bicycle transport development.
• Provide capacity building for Hue city officials and share lessons learned with other cities.
• Conduct data collection and evaluation to monitor progress.

The initial phase of the plan focuses on enhancing infrastructure in the urban core of Hue city, followed by an expansion of the bicycle network city-wide.

Hue's initiative in urban transport transformation inspires cities like Hanoi, Ha Long, and Ho Chi Minh City to embrace sustainable transportation. As Hue leads the way towards a greener future, it encourages others to follow suit for healthier, eco-friendly urban spaces.

The Bicycle Transportation Development Plan for Hue City was formulated with the support of the develoPPP PBS project, which is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Playing the role of the develoPPP PBS project implementor, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in collaboration with HealthBridge and stakeholders in Hue City and other cities across Viet Nam have conducted a number of consultation workshops and field studies with the participation of both national and international experts. The practical experience and strategic input of all collaborators significantly contributed to the development of such a comprehensive plan.