Cost problem
Hanoi City People's Committee has just issued Official Dispatch No. 3676/UBND-NNMT to implement Decision No. 13/2026/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on the roadmap for applying the National Technical Regulation on emissions for motorbikes and mopeds participating in road traffic.
The City People's Committee assigned the Department of Construction to preside over the plan to develop a system of motorbike emission testing facilities, ensuring to meet the needs in the area; and at the same time organize testing, inspection, and supervision of implementation.
Notably, the Department is assigned to study a plan to support low-income groups to replace vehicles that have been used for many years and are at high risk of pollution when they do not meet emission standards.
Using a Honda motorbike for many years, Mr. Hoang Van Son (Cau Giay ward, Hanoi) said that he fully supports the policy of supporting the exchange of old motorbikes.
“The car is associated with many memories, so I still keep it to travel because I have retired, the need to travel is not much. However, currently some areas in Hanoi have applied low-emission zones, so whenever I need to go there, I have to ask my children and grandchildren to take me or book a technology car. If there is a policy to support the exchange of old cars, I will have more motivation to switch” - Mr. Son shared.
According to Mr. Son, policies need to clearly stipulate support mechanisms for each target group. In addition to maintaining high support levels for poor and near-poor households, the city can study a co-payment mechanism for the remaining groups to encourage more people to participate in conversion.
As one of the people who has completely switched from gasoline vehicles to electric vehicles, Ms. Vu Tung Chi (Cau Giay ward, Hanoi) said that the clearest benefit is saving usage costs.
My family used to use gasoline cars. After that, my husband and I decided to switch to using two VinFast VF 3 electric cars. Previously, fuel costs were nearly 4 million VND/month, but now they have decreased significantly thanks to being able to charge at public charging stations" - Ms. Chi said.
Dual goal
Assessing the Project "Low emission zones in Ring Road 1, Hanoi City" - Dr. Nguyen Quang - former Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program in Vietnam - said that the implementation is of great significance, contributing to the implementation of the Net Zero emission target by 2050 that Vietnam has committed to.
According to Mr. Quang, low-emission zones not only aim to reduce emissions but also to gradually limit personal vehicles, towards a more sustainable urban model, in which people use more public transport and green vehicles.
Hanoi is facing congestion due to the excessive number of private vehicles. Therefore, reducing emissions and reducing dependence on private vehicles are two parallel goals" - Mr. Quang said.
However, he also noted that the transition process needs to consider people's livelihood conditions. Motorbikes are not only a means of transportation but also a livelihood tool for many low-income workers such as delivery workers, motorbike taxi drivers, small traders, freelancers or seasonal workers.
The fact that Hanoi is studying a plan to support low-income people to replace old vehicles with high emission risks also needs to be implemented according to an appropriate roadmap, associated with assessing socio-economic and livelihood impacts, to both achieve the goal of reducing emissions, improving air quality, and ensuring that people, especially vulnerable groups, reduce the pressure of transition.
In addition, Mr. Quang said that the policy of supporting individuals from poor households to switch from motorbikes and mopeds using fossil fuels to green transport vehicles with a rate of 100% of the value of new vehicles but not exceeding 20 million VND/person, according to Resolution 68/2026/NQ-HĐND, is a necessary step to ensure social justice in the green transition process.
