Hanoi: A city of motorbikes and mopeds

British portrait photographer Jon Enoch has just finished a project documenting the use of mopeds in Hanoi, Vietnam.

a man posed on his motorcycle, carries an astonishing amount of ice in a box rigged to the vehicleImage copyright
Jon Enoch

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“Mopeds are a way of life in South East Asia, the workhorse of the city, carrying a vast and unusual array of goods,” says Enoch, a freelance photographer based in London.

A man is posed on a motorcycle with an array of multicoloured fish in plastic bags hanging in rows on the back of the bikeImage copyright
Jon Enoch

A motorcycle is mounted with a shelf- like structure, hanging bags of different types of fishImage copyright
Jon Enoch

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“When I first travelled around South East Asia, 15 years ago, the number of motorbikes and mopeds just astounded me.

“Initially, that level of traffic that never stops is overwhelming to the senses – you wonder how you’ll ever manage to cross a road.

“I began to be fascinated by the drivers and deliveries.

“Seeing really unusual deliveries, like a huge pile of eggs, towering bags of ice or an enormous mound of flowers, was visually so stunning I started asking people if I could take photos of them.”

A man posed on a motorcycle with a huge pile of eggs on the backImage copyright
Jon Enoch

A man posed on a motorcycle with hundreds of red and white coloured bouncy attached to the backImage copyright
Jon Enoch

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In 2017, it was announced that all “powered two wheelers” – mopeds, scooters and motorbikes – would be banned in the city by 2030 in an attempt to combat pollution and traffic jams.

Although, some residents don’t believe this can be done in the time stated – or at least until better alternatives are in place.

Two men pose on a motorcycle with a large mound of yellow flowers on the backImage copyright
Jon Enoch

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“I had been planning this series of photographs for a really long time. So, when I read that motorbikes would be banned within the next 10 years, I knew I had to fly over and finish this project as soon as possible,” says Enoch.

A man posed on his motorcycle with lots of large water containers stacked on top of each otherImage copyright
Jon Enoch

A man is posed on a motorcycle which is over spilling with car accessories such as mats and beaded seat coverImage copyright
Jon Enoch

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All photos by Jon Enoch.

source: bbc.com