From Bicycles to Bentleys

When I first went to Hanoi, in the spring of 1994, the city streets overflowed with bicycles. At least 85% of the vehicles on the road were bikes, about 10% were motorbikes, and the few others were Russian trucks that rambled, nearly falling apart, down the potholed streets. In the house where I lived, we had a “corporate fleet” of three Chinese-made bikes.  Bicycle taxis called cyclos, and a few car taxis rounded out the full complement. There was not a stoplight in the city of three million people. 

Fast forward to the 21st century. By 2018, Hanoi faced major traffic jams, caused by mostly automobiles, which now represent at least 50% of the traffic. Motorbikes are another 30%, busses and trucks at least 15%. Bikes are oddities. 

As just one example of the breathtaking transition that Vietnam experienced, the traffic mix tells me a lot. First, people were anxious to get off slow bikes, especially in the bad weather. Motorbikes carry them faster to their destinations, so they spend less time in the rain with perhaps less chance to become ill. Even better, many want the safety and security of a car, and with a growing middle class, the possibility of owning a car is within reach for many. What amazes me still, though, is how many expensive cars roam—I’ve seen Ferrari, Bentley, and MacLaren in Hanoi and nowhere else. BMWs, Mercedes, and Lexus are relatively common, but Toyota, KIA, and Hyundai overshadow all of them. 

The downside, of course, is rising pollution, which some days can fog the city and cause dramatic breathing problems. As individuals sit in cars, they are less with the community. They are encountering the same problem as those in other fast-paced economies—more time commuting, less time with family and friends. More focus on me and less focus on we. Can we find a balance?