Enforcing downtown vehicle ban will be uphill task for Ho Chi Minh City, experts fear

With more than nine million motorbikes in various states of deterioration and inspections not mandatory, Ho Chi Minh City will struggle to prevent substandard vehicles from entering its downtown area, experts warn.

Under a draft plan to control pollution by vehicles being developed by a consulting firm, a low-emission zone will be established in central HCMC next year.

It will cover the erstwhile districts of 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, Binh Thanh, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, and Phu Nhuan and be bounded by 15 bridges and 17 main arterial roads.

This area is home to around 3.2 million residents and sees more than 9.2 million vehicle trips daily, frequently recording pollution-measuring PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations above permitted levels.

The roadmap proposes that, starting next year, the city will first restrict ride-hailing motorbikes that do not meet Euro 2 emission standards and commercial vehicles below Euro 4 standards from entering the zone. Diesel trucks will be completely banned.

Euro standards set limits for exhaust emissions for new cars, trucks and buses sold in the EU.

In ascending order from Euro 1 to Euro 7 the standards become more stringent and mainly control pollutants like carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter.

From 2027 to 2032 the rules will apply to all motorbikes below Euro 2 and all cars below Euro 4. After 2032 authorities will consider raising the emissions thresholds and expanding the no-go areas for vehicles.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Quan, director of the Institute for Circular Economy Development at the Vietnam National University–HCMC, said the biggest challenge is identifying and controlling which vehicles meet emission standards for entry into the city center as Vietnam currently does not require motorbikes to be tested periodically.

HCMC has an enormous number of motorbikes, many of them old and used by low-income workers for their livelihoods, he pointed out.

Besides, many vehicles are registered in someone else’s name or come from other provinces, making management even more complicated, he said.

« Looking at how car inspections are done shows just how challenging motorbike emissions checks would be. »

The processes, regulations, licensing, and the agencies responsible for inspections are either undefined or still at the proposal stage, he said.

« If inspection labeling is done poorly, it will increase costs and waste people’s time and effort—this is a big opportunity cost when implementing a major policy. »

He suggested a phased approach, allowing vehicles still within their intended period of safe and effective use to register online without immediate inspection, while authorities focus first on older motorbikes.

He also recommended providing technical solutions, such as installing filters to reduce emissions without requiring vehicles to be discarded.

He said private sector players like manufacturers and motorbike retailers could be authorized to perform inspections under standardized procedures.

Vehicle labeling should also be carried out step by step, he said.

Another issue is the difficulty in distinguishing between vehicles belonging to people living within the prohibited zone and those coming from outside, he pointed out.

To implement the plan, HCMC could learn from other countries, he said.

In Germany, for instance, low-emission zones (LEZs) are managed with clear standards that allow only vehicles meeting Euro 4 or Euro 6 to enter.

Other vehicles can install exhaust filters instead of being forced to buy new ones.

Germany also has extensive public transport and park-and-ride facilities at the fringes of zones, and relies on technology for enforcement rather than roadblocks.

« Camera-based fines strong enough to deter violations make people think twice, » Quan said.

Where LEZs have been applied, air quality improves, investment is drawn in, and living conditions rise, benefits residents could see, encouraging compliance, he said.

Pham Mi Sen, head of the Doan Ket (solidarity) group of Grab drivers, said members are willing to switch from gasoline to electric vehicles to access the LEZ, but « policy information must be transparent, with clear enforcement grounds to build consensus. »

He said since the shift is driven by government targets rather than vehicle owners’ needs, loans with 0% interest are necessary for buyers.

Charging and battery-swap networks must be « visible and available immediately, not buy the vehicle first and look for charging later, » he said.

Support policies should apply to all manufacturers so that drivers could choose suitable vehicles, he said.

Bui Van Quan, chairman of the HCMC Freight Transport Association, said green transition is inevitable, but accompanying policies must be comprehensive and synchronized to prepare residents and businesses.

Beyond expanding public transport, the city must put in place power supply and charging stations, and quickly roll out standards and technical regulations for charging infrastructure to spur private investment, he said.

The city should also attract EV manufacturers to foster competition, especially to benefit low-income people, he said.

Transport operators need a « slow » roadmap to adapt along with tax incentives and upfront cost support, he added.

According to deputy director of the city Department of Construction, Bui Hoa An, public transport will be expanded in phases and relevant agencies are developing safety and compatibility standards for charging stations and studying battery-swap models and end-of-life battery disposal norms, he said.

The department is collecting feedback to finalize a proposal to submit to the city government, he added.

By Le Tuyet & Giang Anh – VnExpress.net – August 20, 2025