Air pollution seriously affects health
Every morning on his way to work, Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan (Ha Dong District, Hanoi) has to travel nearly 10km to Cau Giay District. Mr. Tuan shared that every day on his way to work, he has to face traffic jams and breathe heavily polluted air due to fine dust and smoke from vehicles.
“Every evening when I get home, I often feel tired and uncomfortable in my nose. Especially on days when the fine dust index is high, I often have a lot of nasal discharge. After a short time, symptoms such as coughing, sore throat and runny nose began to appear. I could not believe that air pollution was gradually affecting my health. After a long time living in discomfort, I went to see a doctor. The test results showed that I had allergic rhinitis due to air pollution. The doctor advised me to limit going out during rush hour, especially on days when the air pollution index is high,” said Mr. Tuan.
According to a survey by Lao Dong reporters on AirVisual, as of 11:23 p.m. on December 17, Hanoi ranked 6th in the list of the most polluted cities in the world, with an AQI index of 215 and PM2.5 fine dust concentration of 140.
Experts estimate that transportation is the largest source of air pollution in Hanoi, accounting for nearly 70%, especially emissions from cars, motorbikes and vehicles using fossil fuels. In particular, when traffic congestion occurs, the level of gasoline vapor pollution can increase 4-5 times compared to normal times.
According to the National Environmental Status Report 2016-2020, the average annual PM2.5 dust concentration in the city exceeds the national technical standards by nearly 2 times. The average annual PM10 dust concentration exceeds the Vietnamese standard limit by 1.3 to 1.6 times.
The city identified the main source of air pollution as emissions from road vehicles, accounting for 58-74% depending on the time (the main emitting vehicles are motorbikes, followed by trucks and taxis) and road dust. According to statistics from the Department of Transport, the total number of vehicles in Hanoi by April 2024 was over 8 million, including more than 1.1 million cars and about 6.9 million motorbikes. The number of motorbikes used for more than 10 years accounted for more than 72%, increasing the level of toxic emissions into the air if old vehicles are not regularly maintained.
Restricting polluting vehicles is urgent.
Recently, the Hanoi People's Council passed a resolution regulating the implementation of low emission zones, effective from January 1, 2025, to specify the amended Law on the Capital City. Low emission zones (LEZ) are areas designated to restrict polluting vehicles in order to improve air quality.
According to the resolution, from 2025 to 2030, the city will pilot the establishment of LEZ zones in some areas of Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh districts; at the same time, it will encourage other districts to establish these zones. From 2031 onwards, areas that meet one of the following criteria will have to implement LEZ zones.
LEZ areas will have to apply measures to ensure the environment such as: Prohibiting the circulation of heavy trucks running on diesel; restricting or prohibiting cars that do not meet level 4 emission standards and motorbikes and scooters that do not meet level 2 standards from entering LEZ areas at certain times or areas.
Speaking to Lao Dong, Associate Professor Dr. Dinh Trong Thinh - an economic expert - assessed that Hanoi is one of the cities with the most serious air pollution in Vietnam. Therefore, banning polluting vehicles will help reduce the concentration of fine dust and other toxic substances in the air. Thereby improving public health and reducing the rate of diseases related to pollution.
Banning certain types of polluting cars and motorbikes would encourage people to switch to more environmentally friendly means of transport, such as electric vehicles. This would not only reduce pollution but also create more sustainable travel habits. Banning polluting vehicles could also create incentives for green industries, such as electric vehicle manufacturing, public transport infrastructure development, and clean technology, which would create new job opportunities.
“There needs to be a policy to provide financial support for people when switching from gasoline vehicles to electric vehicles and to develop a system of electric vehicle charging stations that can meet demand,” Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Trong Thinh emphasized.
Agreeing with the above viewpoint, Dr. Nguyen Tri Hieu - economic expert shared with Lao Dong - the pilot ban on some polluting vehicles in Hanoi is necessary to protect the environment and at the same time, policies to support users of green vehicles are needed.
“There needs to be a specific roadmap for people to switch to vehicles such as electric vehicles. Especially supportive fiscal policies, such as tax exemptions or reductions for those who buy new non-polluting vehicles. Proposing strict measures to handle those who continue to use polluting vehicles after the prescribed period, such as confiscating vehicles or imposing fines…” - Dr. Nguyen Tri Hieu said.
