Foreigners renting motorbikes without licenses pose traffic risks

Without proper licenses required when renting motorbikes, certain foreigners in Vietnam may pose traffic risks as they ride at high speeds on unfamiliar roads.

Milan spent two months traveling in central Binh Thuan Province’s Phan Thiet City. The tourist from Croatia initially planned to only stay for one week before leaving for another Southeast Asian country, but the scenic beach town with hospitable locals made him stay.

The 33-year-old said he used to travel around using taxis when he first came, but this method of transportation was expensive, costing him over VND1 million ($39.39) a day. He later decided to rent a motorbike instead for VND4 million a month.

« At first I did not know the roads well, so when I rode in populated areas, I would be afraid of colliding with someone else. But now I’m used to it, » Milan said, adding that his favorite spot is the Ong Dia Reef, located about 2 km from his resort. He said he would visit the site every afternoon, and sometimes he would travel with friends for dozens of kilometers to reach the beach dunes along Mui Ne.

Milan is one among thousands of tourists who came to Phan Thiet and rented motorbikes to experience local life. Many of them want to stay for long periods to be fully immersed with the area’s culture, history and lifestyle. Some even rent motorbikes from Phan Thiet to visit sites even hundreds of kilometers away.

It is not difficult to find a motorbike renting place in Phan Thiet. In Ham Tien Ward alone, where several foreigners stay, there are around 20 such locations, requiring people to only pay VND150,000 a day or VND4 million a month to rent a bike. Such places are unlikely to require licenses or other papers upon renting for the sake of tourists’ convenience.

But it is also due to lax bike renting requirements that allowed many foreigners to rent one even without a license. Several traffic accidents involving foreigners on motorbikes have been recorded in Phan Thiet. On Nov. 23, two foreigners were killed when their motorbikes collided with one another at a turn in Phu Hai Ward. Just three days later, another foreigner fell onto the road from his motorbike and injured his face.

Nguyen Van Bay, a local who lives near the hotel and resort area of Ham Tien Ward, said he frequently saw foreigners riding bikes without helmets and speeding on the road. There were even tourists speeding on the road after drinking at night, he added.

Nguyen Minh Dung, deputy head of the Phan Thiet police, said while there has been no exact statistics on the traffic accidents involving foreigners in the area, there has been an increase in the degree of traffic violations as of late. Traffic police officers patrol coastal roads popular with foreigners, but the areas involved are wide and officers have to patrol other areas as well.

Ngo Ngoc Dung, chairman of the Ham Tien Ward People’s Committee, said authorities are scanning for all motorbike renting places in the area. Shop owners must guarantee to only rent motorbike to foreigners with appropriate licenses, he added.

Nguyen Quang Nhat, head of the Department of Propaganda and Dissemination of Laws on Traffic Order and Safety, said police officers often inform about traffic safety and deal with violations in different localities, especially areas with high numbers of foreigners. Authorities have told facilities that rent motorbikes to not allow foreigners without appropriate licenses to rent vehicles. Those who do may be either fined, or even face criminal charges if it results in serious traffic accidents.

By Viet Quoc & Dinh Van – VnExpress.net – December 10, 2024