“Junker” motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City are an increasing risk to both their drivers and other motorists.

“Junker” motorbikes do not have headlights and horns

Many motorbikes on Ho Chi Minh City’s streets are very old and can break down at any moment. Often, they do not have horns, headlights, tail lights or even license plates.

These junkers are most commonly used to transport large goods throughout the city.

The owner of a motorcycle repair shop on Nguyen Chi Thanh Road, District 5, said these old junkers are priced at around VND 2 million (USD 100) each and were a favourite among owners of gas, rice or beverage agents.

These companies have large sized goods which need to be delivered to their customers. However, they often don’t have enough orders to need a truck. These old motorbikes then become their ideal transportation vehicle.

The bikes also hold a very low value so when the drivers of these motorbikes break traffic laws, the police do not confiscate the vehicle.

Another appeal is that the bikes are very unlikely be stolen when parked on the roadside and owners of the bikes don’t have to worry about the drivers stealing them either.

For the cost-cutting benefits there are also risks. Safety of the drivers is not guaranteed because the motorbikes have just the frame and engine. The quality of wheels and brakes are often very bad and most do not have horns, headlights, or tail lights. The frame is often dangerously rusted as well.

Drivers of these bikes have developed a reputation for speeding. If motorbikes carrying gas tanks were to crash, the drivers themselves and others would face serious danger.

Nguyen Ngoc Tuong, Vice Manger of Ho Chi Minh City’s Traffic Safety Committee said that these old motorbikes were very dangerous to drivers because they carry large sized goods, drive in crowded areas, are known to drive fast and often violate traffic regulations.

However, Tuong admitted that it was very difficult to control use of this vehicle because it had very low value so they could not impose administrative penalties. When drivers break traffic laws, the police confiscate their motorbikes but drivers of these bikes do not usually come back to pay penalties or reclaim their vehicle because punishment fees are higher than their vehicle value.

A police officer of Thu Thiem District said that they confiscated hundreds of these motorbikes but nobody came to take their vehicle back. Furthermore, the space in the warehouse which holds confiscated motorbikes is limited so the police do not want to seize these junk motorcycles.

Used to transport large goods