Vehicle inspection done in... a snap.
At noon on January 16th, observations at several vehicle inspection centers in Ho Chi Minh City revealed a surprisingly low number of vehicles. A few months ago, the Department of Vehicle Registration, based on statistical data, predicted that many localities would experience overload due to operating capacity falling short of demand. However, the reality was completely different. At the 50-03S Vehicle Inspection Center on National Highway 13, Hiep Binh Chanh Ward, Thu Duc City (Ho Chi Minh City), even just after noon, the line of vehicles waiting for inspection was only a few dozen. The queuing area was quite empty, a stark contrast to the long queues that occurred a month ago.
Many vehicle inspection centers in Ho Chi Minh City are deserted.
The 50-04V Vehicle Inspection Center in Cat Lai Industrial Park, Thanh My Loi Ward, Thu Duc City (Ho Chi Minh City) has also been deserted for many months now, with vehicles freely driving inside for inspections. Although this center uses app-based registration, the system still shows a significant number of empty slots. Mr. TMK, residing in Ward 22, Binh Thanh District (Ho Chi Minh City), recounted: "My vehicle's inspection is due in February 2024. I was afraid of congestion, so I registered a month in advance, but I was busy on the scheduled day and couldn't make it. I canceled the old appointment and rescheduled, and surprisingly, I could choose a convenient appointment time, even just one day in advance."
The registration schedule on the TTDK app is very empty.
For vehicle inspection centers in more remote areas, there are still quite a few available slots. Mr. Trinh Quoc Hung, residing in Binh Chanh District (Ho Chi Minh City), shared: "I recently brought my car to the 50-13D Vehicle Inspection Center on Tran Dai Nghia Street, Tan Kien Commune, Binh Chanh District for inspection. There weren't many cars and the process was very quick. I arrived at 6:30 AM and it was finished by 7:30 AM. The staff were also very enthusiastic and friendly..."
In Hanoi , the situation regarding vehicle inspections is similar. Monitoring appointment scheduling on the vehicle inspection app, most inspection centers in the capital have many available slots. None of the currently operating centers are experiencing overload or full capacity. According to information from the Vietnam Registering and Inspection Department, Hanoi will be removed from the list of congestion hotspots for vehicle inspections in January 2024, as the capacity of the inspection centers exceeds the demand from vehicles in the area. Specifically, the average inspection capacity of the 28 operating inspection centers in Hanoi is nearly 68,000 vehicles per month, while the demand for inspections in January 2024 is only slightly over 61,000 vehicles.
In Dong Nai , where localized traffic congestion occurred a month ago, operations have returned to normal. On January 16th, the 60-04D Motor Vehicle Inspection Center in Tan Bien Ward, Bien Hoa City (Dong Nai) reopened after a year of temporary closure. The center's leadership stated that it has two operational inspection lines, capable of handling approximately 120 vehicles per day when operating at full capacity. Thus, currently, Dong Nai province has five operational inspection centers, with only the 60-03S Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (Dinh Quan District) remaining temporarily closed due to a staff shortage.
Why is it so deserted?
According to the Vietnam Registering and Inspection Agency, 274 out of 292 vehicle inspection centers nationwide are operational (equivalent to 94%), with 447 out of 542 inspection lines in operation (equivalent to over 82% of the system's total inspection capacity). Currently, 18 centers are temporarily closed due to ongoing investigations, insufficient qualifications, or voluntary closure. Nationwide, there are 1,747 vehicle inspectors working at these inspection units, including 1,002 senior inspectors and 745 motor vehicle inspectors.
In reality, vehicle inspection centers have passed their peak congestion period in the last months of 2023. However, in 2024, except for February and March, many localities still face the risk of congestion in the remaining months. Furthermore, in the near future, many inspection centers will temporarily cease operations due to the prosecution and trial of inspectors, who are likely to have their certificates revoked upon receiving a verdict. This could lead to an overload of vehicle inspection services in 31 provinces and cities.
The current situation shows that concerns about traffic congestion are being alleviated as transportation demand increases. Speaking with Thanh Nien newspaper, Mr. Le Trung Tinh, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Automobile Transport Association, expressed surprise at the relatively quiet vehicle inspection process during peak season, a stark contrast to the congestion seen last year. "But I think this development is very positive, helping transport businesses reduce their worries about contract cancellations and increased inspection costs," Mr. Tinh said.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hung, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Binh Duong Automobile Transport Association, shared the same opinion and expressed concern, saying, "It's really unclear why the situation is so different from the Department of Vehicle Registration's forecast. It's possible that people and businesses, upon hearing about the traffic congestion forecast, proactively had their vehicles inspected elsewhere."
Responding to Thanh Nien newspaper, the director of a vehicle inspection center in Ho Chi Minh City admitted: "I don't know why the number of vehicles coming for inspection is so low. For example, today, by early afternoon, we had already run out of vehicles to inspect. In the past few days, the number of passenger cars coming for inspection after their automatic renewal period expired has returned, helping our center reach about 70-80% capacity, but today it's quiet again. With this situation, it may not be until April that the demand for inspections increases again."
The Ministry of Transport has just issued Circular 44/2023 amending and supplementing Circular 18/2019 on the business of motor vehicle inspection services, effective from February 15, 2024. Accordingly, regarding the licensing of inspection units, the Circular stipulates: After completing the investment and construction in accordance with the law, the organization establishing the inspection unit shall prepare a set of documents requesting a certificate of eligibility to operate motor vehicle inspection services and submit it to the Department of Transport.
Annually, the Department of Transport must develop a plan to inspect and evaluate the maintenance of facilities, organizational structure, human resources, and inspection activities of vehicle inspection units in the area to ensure that these units comply with regulations on the business of motor vehicle inspection services.
The inspection and evaluation contents for maintaining the operational conditions of vehicle inspection units include: facilities, equipment and tools for inspection, organizational structure, and personnel; examination of records and data; tracking logs, reporting procedures, management of documents and compliance with regulations on fee collection; re-examination and evaluation of inspection results and compliance with regulations on fee collection and payment…
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