Ho Chi Minh City’s controversial proposal to limit the life span of motorbikes has riled poorer road users.

Many poor people use motorbikes for earning living

Associate Pr. Dr. Nguyen Quang Toan, Former Head of the Road Department under the University of Transport and Communications, said that ‘using old vehicles is a way for the poor to earn a living; therefore, banning this mean of transport to participate traffic will affect their livelihoods.’

He made the comment after HCM City People’s Committee considered a draft regulation on minimum standards for vehicles, including an expiry date for the duration of their use. This regulation is aimed to reduce traffic accidents and environmental pollution.

The HCM City Police Department, assigned to take the lead in compiling the draft to submit it to the Government for consideration, said that the massive use of old motorbikes had caused many traffic accidents and also posed potential risks. Therefore, the regulation would be an effective measure to resolve the situation.

Toan said no regulation about expiry date for private vehicles’ duration of use has been issued to date and the prohibition could not be stipulated generally just based on the duration of use but on their technical standards such as exhaust fumes, noise and environmental factors.

He also cited many countries as an example, saying that they still allowed the use of vehicles produced 30-40 years ago but still met technical standards. Many people have used their vehicles for 20 years, but they only used them for a few hours per day, thus, attrition was minor.

He opposed the allegation that old vehicles resulted in traffic accidents and related risks, saying that this needed specific statistics. Equal treatment should be for both new and old vehicles because their age was not a specific cause of traffic accidents. Many traffic accidents were due to speeding or carelessness regardless of the age of the vehicle.

“No one wants to use an old motorbike, but poor people can’t afford to buy new ones. Therefore, banning the use of old motorbikes lacks humanity and also means a prohibition on the poor to earn their living,” he shared.

He noted that in the current context of an underdeveloped public transport, motorbikes remained the major means of transport and traffic accidents were mainly caused by cars, not motorbikes. When the national economy develops with annual per capita income of at least USD3,000, public transport will see great improvements, and this would contribute to restricting the use of motorbikes.

Registering motorbikes

Trinh Ngoc Giao, Head of Vietnam Register under the Ministry of Transport, said, HCM City has not yet sent an official document to the agency about the regulation. He said the proposal was a big issue and needed careful consideration.

For many foreign countries, the register is applicable to both autos and motorbikes, but in Vietnam, it is only imposed on motorbikes. However, with HCM City’s move to restrict private vehicles and the would-be application of the regulation on minimum standards and an expiry date for vehicle duration of use, register requirement for motorbikes would be a good measure.

He said, in 2010, the Government decided on exhaust checks for motorbikes to protect environment, but the Vietnam Register will submit a specific implementation roadmap to the Government this year.  The check will be prioritised in big cities and then localities nationwide.

He added, before the regulation on the expiry date of the duration use takes effect, technical inspections should be applied to old vehicles to ensure they are repaired. If the repairs still fails, the vehicles should be removed from use.