I've lived in Hanoi for seven years and watched motorbike lanes get swallowed by cars and ride-hailing services, yet I still believe dedicated bus rapid transit lanes are a better long-term fix for urban traffic than expanding metro lines. A BRT network can be built in a fraction of the time and cost of underground rail, and it can adapt to shifting demand without millions of dollars sunk into fixed tracks. Yes, metros are flashier and carry more people per hour, but most cities in Southeast Asia simply don't have the ridership density to justify them yet. Would you rather see your city invest $2 billion in one metro line or spread that money across several BRT corridors that start moving commuters within two years?