Vietnam’s planned petrol scooter ban for Hanoi raises fears for livelihoods

People wear long-sleeved clothing to protect themselves from the heat while riding motorcycles along a street in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 8, 2023 [Luong Thai Linh/EPA]

Ho Chi Minh City – Mai, a Hanoi resident, often wakes up to air pollution enveloping Vietnam’s capital in a thick fog.

“Pollution in Hanoi is alarming,” Mai told Al Jazeera, asking to be referred to by her first name.