“We the elderly can feel it very clearly when we suffer from respiratory problems that lead to breathing difficulties,” Luu Minh Duc, a 64-year-old resident of the city, said.
“The situation seems to get worse recently.”
Young people are also complaining.
“At first I thought it was foggy … but later I found out that it is actually fine dust that reduce my vision and make me feel like it is not healthy to breathe,” said 21-year-old student Nguyen Ninh Huong.
Speaking at a meeting with the transport ministry on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha called for an accelerated transition to EVs as part of the efforts to reduce pollution, state media reported.
So far Hanoi has a target for at least 50 per cent of buses and 100 per cent of taxis to be EVs by 2030.
“This is the responsibility of the state to the people, and there must be specific and timely actions,” Ha was quoted as saying by the Tien Phong newspaper.
The ministries of natural resources, environment and health did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
