The Hanoi Department of Transport is planning to designate more streets to pedestrian only during the weekends.

During festivals the streets around Hoan Kiem are already closed motorised traffic. Photo by TTVH

The project will include Dong Xuan, Hang Ngang, Hang Dao, and the streets running around Hoan Kiem Lake to Trang Tien Street. These streets will be restricted to motor vehicles on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

An official from the department said that they were working with locals to find solutions to any issues this might create for residents, such as emergency services, parking lots and transportation.

“A draft of the project will be complete by the end of this month and then submitted to the Municipal People’s Committee for ratification,” he said.

Vice chairman of Hoan Kiem District, Nguyen Quoc Hoa, is also on record as saying that the Municipal People’s Committee had directed his district, the police and the Department of Transport to reorganise transportation on these streets.

Hoa added that the city had planned to sort out traffics and limit big vehicles right from the outer circle. “A two-story parking lot has been built near Tran Nhat Duat and Tran Quang Khai streets, where people can leave their vehicles before entering the old quarter.