Regarding the information that pickup trucks are classified as pickup trucks and banned from circulating in Hanoi's inner city during rush hour, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Register, Mr. Nguyen To An, affirmed that the classification between pickup cars and pickup trucks has been stable for a long time, not a new regulation.
According to Mr. An, vehicle classification is based on the structure, the ratio between the total volume of people allowed to carry and the total volume of goods, as well as the useful area of the truck bed, according to Circular No. 53/2024/TT-BGTVT. These criteria have been built since 2003 in the National Standard TCVN 7271:2003 Automobiles - Classification by purpose of use, i.e., have existed and been stable for 16 years.
Circular 53/2024 is currently the basis for applying policies related to the import, production, assembly, inspection and renovation of pickup trucks, in accordance with TCVN 7271:2003. When issuing a Certificate of Technical Safety and Environmental Protection (GCN) for a vehicle, the registration agency clearly states the name of the vehicle type as a pickup truck or pickup car. Car buyers understand this information through the GCN and the applied tax rate, in which pickup cars are subject to higher taxes, leading to higher selling prices than pickup trucks.
Mr. An said that the inspection certificate for pickup trucks clearly states a service life of 25 years from the year of manufacture, while pickup cars do not apply this limit.
Representatives of the Registration Department emphasized that recent debates about pickup trucks do not originate from the classification regulations in Circular 53/2024, because the classification criteria between trucks and pickup cars have not changed compared to previous regulations. In fact, public opinion is mainly concerned about regulations restricting traffic in the inner city, which is the authority of road management agencies and localities, not within the scope of registration.
If there is an adjustment to the classification of pickup trucks, the amendment needs to study and fully assess the socio-economic impact, while ensuring compliance with the Party's guidelines, state policies and laws, and international practices.
Regarding the opinion that manufacturers can reduce vehicle weight to below 950 kg to be classified as cars, Mr. An affirmed that this is difficult to implement. Each car model must go through testing, quality assessment by the manufacturer, certification procedures when manufacturing, assembling or importing. Moreover, two types of cars are subject to different tax policies, directly affecting selling prices and rolling costs. Therefore, manufacturers cannot "load down" on paper to convert car types.
The classification criteria are also the basis for manufacturers and importers to choose the type of vehicle to supply to the market. However, in addition to technical factors, other management policies such as service life, taxes, and circulation regulations also affect people's purchasing decisions. Therefore, the needs and choices of users are still the most important factors in building a suitable vehicle supply plan.
