Circular No. 47/2024/TT-GTVT of the Ministry of Transport stipulates the procedures for inspection and exemption from first-time inspection for motor vehicles and specialized motorbikes; procedures for certification of technical safety and environmental protection for modified motor vehicles and modified specialized motorbikes; procedures for inspection of exhaust emissions of motorbikes and mopeds. The Circular takes effect from January 1, 2025.
According to the Vietnam Register, motorcycle emission inspection is a new content performed according to the tasks specified in Point d, Clause 5, Article 42 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety.
The new circular stipulates that motorbikes under 5 years old are exempt from emission inspection. For motorbikes from 5 to 12 years old, the emission inspection cycle is once every 24 months. For motorbikes over 12 years old, the emission inspection cycle is once every 12 months.
Explaining the choice of this inspection cycle, the Vietnam Register said that the process of drafting the Circular had been carefully studied and reviewed by the Department of Science, Technology and Environment and the Vietnam Register from the experience of several countries in the region; inheriting the research results of the Institute of Transport Science and Technology and the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM) to come up with the inspection cycle.
For the first inspection, the research results of the Institute of Transport Science and Technology, there was a survey to check the emissions of about 20,000 motorbikes in 3 cities (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang).
The test results show that for motorbikes with a usage time of less than 5 years (calculated by year of manufacture, up to the time of emission testing), the emission levels of pollutants (HC, CO; according to TCVN 6438:2018) almost do not change much, and can meet the emission standards in TCVN 6438:2018.
For motorbikes with a usage time of more than 5 years, pollutant emissions increase significantly, depending on the maintenance regime and frequency of use of the vehicle by the owner.
Based on the survey results of average kilometers per day and average usage frequency, the research team of the Institute of Transport Science and Technology proposed that the emission inspection cycle for motorbikes over 5 years old is 24 months. This proposal is also consistent with the actual inspection results in 03 cities.
For motorbikes that are too old (used for more than 12 years); actual inspection results show that the rate of pollutant emissions has increased; to prevent pollutant emissions, it is necessary to conduct annual emission inspections (12-month inspection period) to raise awareness of vehicle maintenance (in line with the experience of some countries in the region: Indonesia, Taiwan (China).
"On the other hand, the regulation of shorter inspection cycles for motorbikes with high usage time creates motivation to convert vehicles, improving the effectiveness of air environment protection, especially in urban areas," the Vietnam Register emphasized.
