When in Ha Noi, one cannot help but be amazed by the number of motorcycles on the road. The roads are always packed with these little mobile “creatures”, small and agile weaving between the traffic. Sometimes almost recklessly but to me, they appear to be the “kings of the road“. I may be wrong, it appears to me that women motorcyclists form a majority of the users. Such is the importance of this means of transport that the government decided last year to implement compulsory safety helmets for all motorcycles, including pillion riders. The ruling took effect on 15 Dec 2007. Almost overnight, about 85 percent of the motorists compiled with the ruling, otherwise they risked being fine.
Motorcycle taxi (xe ôm, pronounced s’air om - literally vehicle embrace) is a common feature in Ha Noi. With Ha Noi many narrow streets, xe ôm is an indispensable form of transport in the city. Now safety helmet (mũ bảo hiểm) has become a fashion item with commuters. Those who frequently travel by xe ôm will carry one with them when they commute around town. Some of these helmets are really cute but I am not sure if they measure up to safety standards.
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