The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is drafting a Circular promulgating national technical regulations on emissions of motorbikes and mopeds (motorbikes) in circulation in Vietnam.
Explaining the practical basis for issuing this Circular, the Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said that air pollution in Vietnam in general and some large cities in particular tends to increase.
One of the main causes of air pollution is transportation activities, including the operation of road motor vehicles in circulation.
Air pollution from transportation activities includes road dust and emissions from a large number of motor vehicles participating in traffic using fossil fuels, including many old vehicles that do not meet emission standards and are old enough to circulate in the city.
Practice shows that frequent traffic congestion (due to high density) also increases emissions many times during rush hour. According to the World Bank's research in 2021, 36% of Hanoi's air pollution contributes to road dust (in 2019) and this figure in 2015 is 23% (the highest among the contribution rates of pollution sources).
For PM2.5 emissions from road vehicles, it accounts for 20% (in 2019).
Scientific research results by a number of environmental experts in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City show that the rate of dust pollution from transportation activities ranges from 40% to 60% (in the period of 2022-2025).
Important air pollutants that need to be focused on are carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbures (HC). Some HC such as Benzen, toluen, xylen... have a great impact on health and even cause the risk of cancer (benzen). In addition, HC is a precursor that contributes to the formation of O3 and fine dust. Emission control in transportation includes control based on emission standards/regulations or control based on fuel quality standards/regulations.
Road congestion is the cause of emissions from the large number of motor vehicles participating in traffic using fossil fuels, including many old vehicles that do not meet emission standards, and the age limit for traffic in the city has also increased simultaneously.
From 2009 to 2023, the number of vehicles increasing is mainly personal vehicles, on average each year, the number of vehicles increases by about 10% to 15%, increasing rapidly in cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang.
As of December 2023, the number of registered and managed vehicles nationwide has been increased to 74,343,176 motorbikes.
According to information provided by the Ministry of Public Security from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024, the number of newly registered motorbikes is 10,568,119 vehicles. Of which, in 2021, 2,802,871 new vehicles were registered; in 2022, 3,527,451 new vehicles were registered; in 2023, 2,825,387 new vehicles were registered; in the first 6 months of 2024, 1,412,410 new vehicles were registered.
The number of motorbikes participating in circulation is very large. However, there is currently no QCVN for motorbike emissions that are circulating in Vietnam, so it is necessary to develop and issue this QCVN to implement the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Road Traffic and Safety and the Prime Minister's direction to soon apply the roadmap for applying the vehicle emission level in Vietnam.
Following the direction of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has coordinated with the relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Public Security, the Vietnam Motorcycle Manufacturers Association to conduct research and assessments for each roadmap to apply national standards and technical regulations on emissions of vehicles that have been promulgated and proposed for each vehicle.
In particular, reviewing and promulgating national environmental technical regulations on emissions of motorbikes in circulation is an important part, closely linked to the development and proposal of a roadmap for applying national technical standards and regulations on emissions of vehicles.
