At the press conference on the socio-economic situation on the afternoon of November 28, Mr. Bui Hoa An - Deputy Director of the Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City, mentioned the shortage of driver's license blanks in the area.
According to Mr. Bui Hoa An, despite having planned and registered a 10% increase in the number of blanks compared to last year, the number of blank driver's licenses still cannot meet the sudden increase in demand from the people. "Currently, the city is short of about 250,000 blank driver's licenses from October until now" - Mr. An informed.
The leader of the HCMC Department of Transport said that every year, provinces and cities must summarize the demand for driver's license blanks to register with the Vietnam Road Administration. After that, the Administration will conduct a bidding and localities will sign an appendix to the contract to buy the necessary quantity.
However, recently, some localities, including Ho Chi Minh City, have had to temporarily stop issuing and renewing driver's licenses or organizing license exams due to a lack of blanks.
In addition, a large number of people from neighboring provinces and cities also flock to Ho Chi Minh City to renew their driving licenses, causing demand to increase sharply.
In particular, Mr. An said, part of the reason for this situation is due to misunderstandings from the people. "Many people misunderstand that old driving licenses will expire when the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety takes effect on January 1, 2025, so they rush to change their licenses," Mr. An explained.
Mr. Bui Hoa An affirmed that current driving licenses, including those issued before 1995 with unlimited validity, will still be legally used after January 1, 2025.
For B1 and B2 licenses, people can continue to use them until the expiration date stated on the license. If needed, they can also change to a B license.
Currently, the Vietnam Road Administration has compiled the demand for driver's license blanks from provinces and cities and will soon organize a bidding to supply them in time.
Ho Chi Minh City expects the shortage to be resolved by December, ensuring service for people in issuing, exchanging and taking driving license exams.
