It's time to control motorcycle emissions

Not only because of environmental pollution

The 5th draft of the Road Law, which is being consulted by the Ministry of Transport, stipulates: "Motorcycles and motorbikes (XGM) participating in traffic must be periodically inspected for exhaust emissions according to the implementation roadmap and emission standards prescribed by the Prime Minister". According to the Ministry of Transport's explanation, the 2016 national environmental status report indicates that exhaust emissions from motor vehicles are identified as the main cause of environmental pollution. Of which, motorcycles and XGM (motorbikes) are the largest source of pollutant emissions. Statistics from the Ministry of Transport show that by the end of 2021, the country had more than 68 million motorcycles. Meanwhile, the 2008 Road Law still has no regulations on emission control for motorcycles and XGM.

With environmental, health and economic benefits, a suitable roadmap for controlling motorbike emissions will receive the support of the majority of people.

"If the revised Road Law still does not regulate emission control for motorbikes, it will increase the amount of emissions generated, causing air pollution, increasing costs for issues related to protecting people's health, protecting the environment, especially in large cities. On the other hand, it will not encourage people and businesses to use new technology vehicles, multi-function vehicles, and reduce environmental pollution...", the Ministry of Transport stated its opinion. As a pioneer in piloting emission control for motorbikes, XGM, Ho Chi Minh City is also facing a serious environmental pollution situation, the main "culprit" of which is identified as motorbikes. Before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, Ho Chi Minh City residents had to face many waves of severe air pollution. Regularly monitoring the air quality index (AQI) on applications such as Air Visual or PAM Air, it is easy to recognize the rule: the time when the AQI index in Ho Chi Minh City increases the most, meaning the air is most polluted - usually falls in the two peak hours of the morning and afternoon, when the number of vehicles on the road is the highest. The concentration of pollutants observed in areas with the highest traffic density is always high and often exceeds the standard. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City affirms that traffic activities are the largest source of emissions, accounting for about 50% of the total emissions in Ho Chi Minh City. Of which, the number of motorbikes in circulation is nearly 10 times the number of cars and accounts for about 90% of the total number of motor vehicles. Motorbikes also cause serious pollution when they have been running at Euro 2 standards (a level of heavy environmental pollution) for decades.

Motorcycles and motorbikes participating in traffic must be periodically inspected for exhaust emissions according to the implementation roadmap and emission standards prescribed by the Prime Minister .

The 5th draft of the Road Law is being consulted by the Ministry of Transport.

Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport Bui Hoa An emphasized that Ho Chi Minh City's viewpoint is to reduce motorbike emissions. Currently, Vietnam has committed and declared to the world to reduce net emissions to zero by 2050. In particular, large cities must certainly go first because the number of vehicles managed is very large. As of September 2020, there were about 7.4 million motorbikes in the city, of which the number of vehicles used for more than 10 years accounted for 67.89%. These are the types of vehicles that often have emissions exceeding current standards. In case the city does not control motorbike emissions, the annual increase in emissions from this type of vehicle with CO is 68,479 tons/year, corresponding to an increase of 15.88%/year; with HC is 4,475 tons/year, corresponding to an increase of 12.85%/year. "The huge amount of emissions that motorbikes and other means of transport in general emit each year is not only a matter of the living environment but also related to medical infrastructure, traffic congestion and traffic accidents. Therefore, this is a particularly important issue and must be addressed," said Mr. An.

Piloting free motorbike emission control for people in Ho Chi Minh City

From "overreaction" to concern and support

This is not the first time the transport sector has considered controlling motorbike emissions, even removing "outdated" motorbikes that do not meet environmental standards from the transport system. Since 2010, the Government has approved motorbike emissions control. However, since then, apart from the first registration and license plate issuance, motorbikes have not been subject to any form of control, regardless of whether they are old, unsafe or polluting. In 2012, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department was also approved by the City People's Committee to study and draft a draft on minimum regulations for circulation and the circulation period of 2- and 3-wheeled motorbikes, XGM (including electric vehicles). However, due to public opposition, this draft "died before it could be put on paper".

The Ministry of Transport shall prescribe the order, procedures and contents of inspection of exhaust emissions of motorcycles and XGMs, and submit to the Prime Minister a roadmap for applying exhaust emission standards for motorcycles and XGMs participating in traffic. Periodic inspection of exhaust emissions of motorcycles and XGMs (except for pure electric motorcycles and XGMs) shall be carried out at exhaust emission inspection stations for motorcycles and XGMs that meet national technical regulations issued by the Minister of Transport.

In fact, controlling motorbike emissions is a big issue for society, sensitive and complicated because it involves the majority of people, as this is still the main means of transport, meeting nearly 90% of travel needs in cities. Therefore, many drafts and projects related to motorbikes are "submitted and put down", no one dares to decide. However, the results of the program "Research on piloting motorbike emissions testing, towards piloting emission control of motorbikes and XGMs in circulation in the city" implemented by Ho Chi Minh City in coordination with the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers in the period of May 15 - September 2, 2020 showed a very different picture. Ho Chi Minh City organized 8 free motorbike emission testing points, expected to serve 5,000 vehicles; but by the end of the program, more than 13,000 motorbikes had come for emission testing. Later, when Ho Chi Minh City surveyed people's opinions on the project to control motorbikes and XGM to reduce environmental pollution, more than 76% of people supported it. "This shows that there has been a huge change in people's awareness. They are very interested in this issue," said the leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport.

Control motorcycle emissions, reduce air pollution by 30%

Motorcycles account for about 29% of NO emissions, 90% of CO, 65.4% of NMVOC; 37.7% of dust emissions; 31% of ultrafine dust emissions. If motorcycle and XGM emissions are controlled according to the project that Ho Chi Minh City has studied, the reduction will be 56,403 tons of CO/year (13.1%) and 4,808 tons of HC/year (13.8%), equivalent to a 30% reduction in air pollution.

(Research results of the Institute of Environment and Resources, Ho Chi Minh City National University)

However, cost is still the biggest concern. If the Ministry of Transport's proposal to control motorcycle and XGM emissions is included in the law this time, vehicle users will have to pay for regular maintenance for their vehicles. However, the Ministry of Transport said that this cost will be offset by reducing vehicle repair costs for damage arising from lack of regular inspection and periodic maintenance, increasing vehicle operating efficiency. If vehicle users perform periodic maintenance according to the manufacturer's recommendations, they can control emissions well, reduce vehicle fuel consumption by 7%, equivalent to fuel savings of more than 170,000 VND/year. According to calculations, if emission control is implemented, people will not only not have to pay more but also save 25,632 VND/vehicle/year in case the state collects emission inspection fees. With direct benefits related to the environment, health, plus budget savings, managers are confident that a suitable roadmap for controlling motorbike emissions will receive support from the majority of people.

With direct benefits to the environment, health, and savings, managers believe that a suitable roadmap for controlling motorbike emissions will receive support from the majority of people.

Green vehicle conversion integration

According to the proposal of the Ministry of Transport, motorbike emission testing is carried out at stations that meet national technical standards. Currently, Vietnam has not yet established standards for motorbike inspection stations. When cooperating with Ho Chi Minh City to pilot motorbike inspection for people, the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers sponsored the entire amount of money to organize technical infrastructure. It is known that the investment cost is very large. Similar to a registration center, a facility including premises, equipment, training of assessors... has a total investment of about 500 million VND, not including management costs. A traffic expert assessed that it is too late for Vietnam to talk about controlling motorbike emissions. To control, it is necessary to first invest in a system of measuring and evaluating equipment, from which to set emission limits. Then build a complete legal framework including standards, what percentage of vehicles must meet the standards, how will substandard vehicles be handled, if they are deliberately circulated, will they be sanctioned or not, what will the sanction be... All of this framework must be built on the basis of practical surveys; while the number of vehicles in circulation is too large, of all ages and types. This process will take a lot of time and be costly when having to invest in a whole testing system, then put it into practice. Not to mention that new motorbikes today must apply regulations to meet Euro 3 emission standards, meaning that emission testing will mainly achieve results with old vehicles in circulation, mainly related to low-income people.

The first step is very favorable.

The biggest challenge for Ho Chi Minh City today is that the habit of using motorbikes has become ingrained in the subconscious of many generations of people, while the traffic infrastructure and public transport have not yet met the demand. Resolution 98 on a special mechanism for Ho Chi Minh City, recently passed by the National Assembly, allows the City People's Council to issue policies to encourage, support and give incentives to individuals, households, cooperatives and businesses to convert their means of transport from fossil fuels to clean energy, as well as the implementation roadmap; purchasing and exchanging old vehicles for new vehicles using clean energy. This is a very favorable step for Ho Chi Minh City to begin implementing the project to control motorbikes and XGM.

Mr. Bui Hoa An, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport

On the other hand, the current world trend is to use green vehicles (electric vehicles). In the process of developing electric vehicles, measures to control exhaust pollution will be applied in parallel, not necessarily periodic inspection of exhaust emissions for motorbikes, but can be applied to limited areas and gradually expanded. "For example, we set a goal that by 2030, 100% of 2-wheeled and 4-wheeled vehicles entering the core area of ​​Ho Chi Minh City or newly registered vehicles must be electric vehicles/green vehicles, then naturally the number of motorbikes using internal combustion engines will gradually decrease and expand. This direction achieves both goals: protecting the environment sustainably and not shocking people," this expert analyzed. Agreeing with the transition to using green vehicles, Mr. Bui Hoa An said that all policies must be implemented in parallel, it is impossible to implement one and abandon the other, while it is the people's property. A newly purchased vehicle may meet Euro 3 standards, but if it is not maintained for a period of time, it will deteriorate. Most importantly, regular vehicle inspection is also a way to change people's awareness and perception of personal responsibility towards the environment and society.

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