Ho Chi Minh City residents will be supported from 20 - 100% of the cost of switching to electric vehicles.

The information was given at a workshop on the research results "Low emission zone - Roadmap for conversion implementation and policies to support vehicle conversion" under the Project to control vehicle emissions in Ho Chi Minh City, chaired by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction this morning (October 7).

Người dân TP. Hồ Chí Minh sẽ được hỗ trợ từ 20 - 100% chi phí chuyển đổi xe điện - Ảnh 1. — *Motorbikes are the main culprit of environmental pollution in Ho Chi Minh City. PHOTO: NGOC DUONG*

Switching costs are the biggest challenge

According to the consulting unit, the merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau is not only a mechanical merger but also creates a large amplification effect, causing pressure on traffic infrastructure and environmental pollution. Road traffic is the largest source of emissions in Ho Chi Minh City, especially in the central area - where vehicle density is high and pollution levels exceed the threshold.

Air pollution not only directly affects people's health but also affects the image of the city in the eyes of investors. It is an invisible damage but has a huge impact. Therefore, the requirement to convert to green transport is not only viewed from the perspective of transport but also has political , economic and social factors.

Ho Chi Minh City's urban transport transformation will be implemented on three pillars: electrification of vehicles, low-emission zones (LEZs), and building supporting policy infrastructure.

With the first pillar, public transport will play a pioneering role, creating a policy premise for the next conversion routes to take place smoothly. From now until 2030, Ho Chi Minh City will open 78 new bus routes using clean fuel, equivalent to 2,849 vehicles. Ho Chi Minh City needs to establish a public transport system covering the entire transport network so that people have an alternative choice when applying policies requiring vehicle conversion. It is necessary to build a green corridor, and it is possible to study making separate lanes for bicycles for routes with large pavements or sidewalks. At the same time, it is convenient to connect with non-motorized transport systems such as public bicycles or public electric motorbikes.

In phase 2, encouraging people, organizations, and businesses to convert their vehicles to electric vehicles, the consulting unit determined that the initial cost of converting vehicles is a big challenge, especially for low-income groups and transport businesses. Therefore, the project proposed a series of flexible supports, according to each affected subject, including: 100% exemption of registration fees for electric vehicles operating in transport business; 50% exemption of road maintenance fees for cars; 50% exemption of license plate issuance fees for electric vehicles; cash support for individuals and households buying new motorbikes (10% of the vehicle value but not more than 5 million VND); refund 70% of the remaining value of the motorbike if individuals and households liquidate the vehicle; support 10% of interest rates on loans to buy vehicles...

As for individuals and households, the consulting unit recommends supporting poor households with 100% of vehicle conversion costs, near-poor households with 80% support and normal households with about 20%, along with benefits such as parking, parking lots...

Source: Thanh Nien

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