Motorcycle Emissions Testing: Everyone Must Be Responsible for the Environment

Motorcycle Emissions Testing: Everyone Must Be Responsible for the Environment

In the draft regulation, from January 1, 2028, motorbike emissions inspection will be carried out for motorbikes circulating in the remaining 4 centrally-run cities including Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho and Hue. From January 1, 2030, motorbike emissions inspection will be carried out for motorbikes circulating in the remaining provinces and cities. Depending on the actual situation, these provinces and cities may stipulate an earlier application deadline.

Air pollution comes from many different sources, including motorbikes. Photo: Contributor.

Explaining the application of this motorbike emission inspection roadmap, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said that the air pollution situation in Vietnam in general and some large cities in particular has an increasing trend, mainly focusing on dust pollution, especially PM2.5 fine dust. The situation of air pollution across the country is regular in terms of time and tends to increase in both space and time in large cities and urban areas such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

In particular, in the last 3 months of 2024 and January 2025, the Hanoi area had many days at certain times when the air quality index (AQI) was recorded at the "very bad" level, affecting environmental quality and directly affecting public health. One of the main causes of dust and emissions causing impacts and air pollution is the large number of motor vehicles participating in traffic, many of which are old vehicles that do not meet emission standards and are not old enough to be in circulation.

According to the World Bank (WB) report, in 2022, the 2015 PM2.5 emission inventory data in the Hanoi area from transportation activities (mainly roads) was about 15%, road dust 23%. According to a publication based on research data from the World Bank, the contribution to PM2.5 concentrations in Hanoi from August 2019 to July 2020 of traffic-related sources is as follows: Direct emissions from traffic contribute 12%, secondary emissions contribute 18%, and dust blown up (including road dust mixed with pollution from traffic, dust from construction and cement) contribute 17%.

To control and minimize the impact of this emission source on air quality, since 2005, the Prime Minister has issued a roadmap for applying emission standards and regulations for road motor vehicles. However, there have been no regulations to control and inspect emissions of motorbikes in circulation in Vietnam until the National Assembly passed the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety, which includes regulations on inspection of emissions of motorbikes and mopeds (Clause 2, Article 42 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety).

For the above reasons, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment believes that the development and promulgation of the Prime Minister's Decision on the roadmap for applying national technical regulations on motorbike emissions in circulation in Vietnam is really necessary. It is estimated that by 2027, Vietnam will have 45.3 million motorbikes, of which 31.4 million will need inspection if they are manufactured 5 years or more ago.

However, if emission standards are applied nationwide, about 0.7% of vehicles in circulation will need to be replaced. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City currently have about 8.1 million motorbikes over 5 years old in circulation. The Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers has 246 dealers and maintenance stations with an inspection capacity of about 28,000 vehicles per day. Each year, dealers can handle 6.9 million vehicles. Therefore, an average inspection frequency of once every two years is appropriate to the capacity of dealers.

According to Dr. Phan Le Binh, Chief Representative of OCG Japan Consulting Office, motorcycle emission inspection is a correct policy and very urgent to implement. To implement, motorcycle emission inspection service should be considered a non-profit activity for the common benefit of society, not a business. Inspection costs should include the full cost of equipment, labor, factory rental, electricity and water to have a break-even fee for the inspection facility. Motorcycle emission inspection services performed by motorcycle maintenance and repair businesses will support each other.

In addition, Mr. Binh proposed that the inspection of motorbike emissions should also have a suitable roadmap so as not to put too much pressure on the people. Besides, according to Mr. Binh, another issue is the inspection infrastructure. Is the number of emission inspection stations sufficient? Inspection stations must be fully equipped and especially must be able to ensure that the inspection work does not have negative phenomena. The second issue is that the inspection cost must be reasonable and there must be a financial support mechanism for low-income people.

Sharing the same view in support of the policy of controlling motorbike emissions, Dr. Hoang Duong Tung, Chairman of the Vietnam Clean Air Network and former Deputy Director General of the General Department of Environment, noted that it is necessary to organize it in a convenient, fast and suitable way to the payment capacity of each locality.

Mr. Tung “suggested” that a roadmap should be developed first in large cities, requiring a legal framework and sanctions to ensure that unqualified vehicles are not allowed to circulate. In remote areas, it may be slower, but when such vehicles enter the city, they must have an inspection sticker.

Dr. Hoang Duong Tung also emphasized: “The longer it takes to inspect, the more motorbikes will increase, making it more difficult to implement. Many countries have controlled motorbike emissions for a long time. Although motorbikes are a means of transportation and a means of livelihood for millions of people, we cannot continue to use the excuse of difficult life to delay control. Everyone must be responsible for the environment.”

Source: https://cand.com.vn/doi-song/kiem-dinh-khi-thai-xe-may-ai-cung-phai-co-trach-nhiem-voi-moi-truong-i768011/