Thua Thien – Hue (VNS/VNA) - An innovative public bike-sharing schemehas been launched by Hue City, the International Cooperation Agency of Germany(GIZ) and tech firm Vietsoftpro to develop a bicycle transportation plan for2021-2026 that mobilises private investment for bike-sharing.

GIZ said the memorandum of understanding (MoU), which was signed during ‘Movingto Digitalisation’ week in the city in late April, promised a public-privatepartnership (PPP) between Hue and the GIZ to support public bike-sharing.

The partnership model is supported by the DeveloPPP fund, a financing mechanismof the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ),and managed and implemented by the GIZ under the umbrella of the ‘Support to Vietnamfor the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (SIPA)’ project.

The DeveloPPP mechanism aims to encourage private sector contributions to thesustainable development objectives of local governments, according to GIZ.Vietsoftpro is the first Vietnamese company to receive direct technical supportunder DeveloPPP since it opened to local enterprises in late 2019.

Under the partnership model, Vietsoftpro is responsible for the development andmaintenance of the bike-sharing software/ application (App). Vietsoftpro willalso cover the investment and operational costs of the scheme while GIZprovides support to develop the city’s bicycle transportation development plan.To ensure the scheme runs effectively, GIZ will also conduct capacity buildingactivities and provide technical support.

Public bike-sharing is an important part of an urban mobility transformationthat links industry 4.0 technologies and sustainable development. It not onlycontributes significantly to emissions reduction in the transport sector andthe resulting improvement in air quality but also improves the convenience andquality of public transport services for residents and visitors.

Rapid urbanisation has led to pressure on urban public services, includingtransport and the environment. Urban planning and road networks in Vietnam aredesigned for motorised transport and largely disregard the rights and needs ofcyclists. Experience from cities across the world shows safe cyclinginfrastructure is a key consideration when people choose their preferred modeof transport.

Cycling is a healthy, efficient, and sustainable means of transport for cities,reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions and improving air quality andthe health of urban residents.

Several cities in Vietnam have been encouraging their citizens to cycle bypiloting cycling routes. The challenges faced by these pilot schemes haverevealed the need for standard guidelines on the development and design ofcycling infrastructure.

GIZ will work with the World Resources Institute (WRI) to provide support byconnecting Vietnam with international organisations, bringing internationalexperience and expertise into the process./.