Vietnam requires over-5-year-old motorcycles to undergo emissions testing
Motorcycles older than five years from the manufacturing date must undergo periodical emissions testing, as per a new circular of the Ministry of Transport.
According to the ministry’s Vietnam Register (VR), a specific road map for the testing will be subject to a government decision.
The transport ministry recently issued Circular 47/2024 requiring mandatory emissions testing for motorbikes under the 2024 Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety going into effect January 1, 2025.
According to the circular, motorcycles less than five years old from their manufacturing date are exempt from emissions testing.
Motorcycles between five and 12 years old will be required to undergo emissions testing every two years.
For motorcycles older than 12 years, annual emissions testing will be mandatory.
In cases where the manufacturing date is not available in the database, December 31 of the manufacturing year will be used as a reference date.
Owners of motorcycles subject to emissions testing must present one of the following documents at the testing centers: the original of the vehicle registration certificate; the certified paper or electronic copy of the original vehicle registration certificate; or the original appointment form for receiving the vehicle registration certificate.
Vehicles that pass emissions tests will be issued an electronic emissions certificate, which will be uploaded to the owner’s e-ID account by the VR.
Circular 47 is set to take effect on January 1, 2025 though the exact start date for emissions testing has yet to be announced, according to the VR.
The VR explained that a road map for the emissions testing must follow the Law on Environmental Protection and is also subject to a government decision.
Currently, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is coordinating with the transport ministry to set out and submit a road map for emissions testing for government approval.
Due to the pending decision, such emissions testing will not commence from January 1, 2025, according to the Vietnam Government Portal.
Emissions testing is crucial, as motorcycles have been identified as the leading source of air pollution in Vietnam’s urban areas, the Ministry of Transport stated.
Statistics reveal that motorbike exhaust contains a range of harmful substances, including carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM).
Motorcycles account for the largest part of the total emissions volume discharged to the environment in big cities, said Dr. Khuat Viet Hung, director of the Transport Development and Strategy Institute under the transport ministry.
By the end of 2023, Vietnam had more than 73 million motorbikes, making up about 93 percent of the total road vehicles.
As per statistics, motorbikes in circulation in Hanoi in 2020 accounted for 84 percent of its total number of vehicles, while those in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City represented 91 and 90 percent, respectively.
According to an emissions measurement program conducted in these three large cities, motorbikes over five years old tend to exceed the current emissions threshold while motorbikes more than ten years old have very high emissions rates.
Dr. Hung noted that motorbikes older than 10 years make up the majority in all three cities: 73 percent in Hanoi, 68 percent in Ho Chi Minh City, and 59 percent in Da Nang.
In response to pollution concerns, Hanoi authorities have announced plans to launch a low-emission zone (LEZ) pilot program next year in Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem districts.
The program will restrict or prohibit high-emission vehicles from entering these densely populated areas.
Hanoi also plans to introduce new regulations regarding fees and charges for vehicles operating within those LEZs.
By Vinh Tho & Tuan Phung – Tuoi Tre News – December 17, 2024