The scooter drivers with the world on their back seats

Hanoi couriers take wide loads on busy roads

Liam James
Tuesday 30 April 2019 03:05 EDT
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A photographer has captured portraits of delivery drivers in Hanoi carrying some impressive loads on the back of their mopeds.

British photographer Jon Enoch is fascinated by the way couriers in Vietnam’s capital skilfully load huge amounts of cargo on their bikes before driving around the bustling city.

Said cargo too often fascinates Enoch, as drivers will carry anything from huge mounds of flowers to live fish in bags.

Hanoi is home to five million motorbikes, but they are to be banned by 2030 to reduce pollution and alleviate congestion.

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

“There is such a skill to loading up a motorbike to this level, and knowing what your limits are, and then on top of that, getting to your destination with a full undamaged load. These motorbikes allow small businesses to operate - it's hard to imagine what the city will look and feel like without them.”

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