Officials in Vietnam's traffic-choked capital Hanoi yesterday vowed to banish motorbikes by 2030 to ease environment and congestions woes, a decision that swiftly divided a city where two-wheelers are the main means of transportation.

Hanoi is famed for legions of motorbikes -- sometimes stacked with entire families or overloaded with deliveries -- that clog roads in a fast-growing city with limited public transportation.