At a meeting on the roadmap for applying Vietnamese standards on emissions from road motor vehicles in circulation yesterday afternoon (March 13), Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha directed the application of emission standards first in some key areas and streets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, where air pollution levels are high.

The Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Public Security are assigned to coordinate with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to review and update traffic infrastructure planning (routes, stations, parking lots) to encourage the use of green means of transport; have policies to support the conversion from private vehicles to public transport; design dedicated lanes for bicycles, pedestrians, and motorbikes; increase communication about the harmful effects of means of transport causing air pollution...

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Motorcycle emission inspection. Photo: Document

According to statistics, the country currently has over 70 million registered motorbikes. In major cities, motorbikes are still the main means of transport. Hanoi alone has over 7 million motorbikes, of which motorbikes that have been used for over 10 years account for 72.58%. This is the cause of increased emissions of toxic substances into the air.

Authorities say that motorbikes are the largest source of pollution. Results from three emission testing programs for motorbikes in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang show that motorbikes used for more than 5 years have a tendency to exceed current emission standards, while motorbikes used for more than 10 years have a very high emission rate.

Meanwhile, vehicles used for over 10 years in all three cities above account for over 50% of the total number of motorbikes and scooters in the area.

Supporting the inspection of motorbike emissions, a traffic expert said that this is necessary because motorbikes are the main means of transport in our country. According to this expert, it is not easy to inspect nearly 70 million motorbikes but it still needs to be implemented soon.

"The longer the implementation timeline is, the more difficult it will be to implement because the number of motorbikes over 5 years old will increase," said this expert.

At the meeting on the afternoon of March 13, a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MARD) said that the Vietnamese standards on emissions for motorbikes in circulation are regulations related to a very large number and type of motorbikes, directly affecting the majority of people, so more time is needed to assess the impact, as well as develop a roadmap for application and facilities for emission testing.

Speaking further with VietNamNet about the above issue, Mr. Nguyen To An, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Register, said that the Department will coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to develop an implementation roadmap. If the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment requests support in the process of developing the set of standards, the Department is always ready.

Regarding the idea of ​​early implementation of motorbike emission inspection in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. An said that the agencies should meet to discuss the implementation method. However, up to now, the Vietnam Register has not received specific content.

According to Circular 47/2024 of the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction), motorbikes and scooters under 5 years old are exempt from emission inspection.

Vehicles between 5 and 12 years old must be inspected every two years, vehicles over 12 years old must be inspected annually.

In case the motorbike or scooter in the database does not have information about the date of manufacture, it is calculated from December 31 of the year of manufacture.

Emission inspection certificate will be issued by Vietnam Register.