Remove the deadline for converting driver's licenses to plastic cards.

The Ministry of Transport will abolish the deadline for exchanging paper driver's licenses for PET material licenses, instead of the current deadline of December 31, 2016.

On day 112, although not as crowded as before, many people still had to wait to receive their PET plastic driver's licenses - Photo: Chi Tue

The Ministry of Transport confirmed this in a press release issued on the afternoon of December 1st regarding the conversion of driver's licenses to PET material. The removal of the expiration date also applies to A4 licenses (issued to drivers of tractors with a payload of up to 1 ton). The phenomenon of people crowding and waiting has significantly decreased…

Was it well-received by many people?

According to the Ministry of Transport, paper-based driver's licenses for cars and tractors will continue to be valid until they expire.

The Ministry of Transport announced that it will abolish the regulation stating that, after 6 months from December 31, 2016, those holding paper-based car driving licenses who do not换 to PET material will have to retake the theory test to have their licenses reissued (as stipulated in Circular No. 58/2015). However, the conversion schedule for all types of motorcycle driving licenses will remain in effect, with the deadline being December 31, 2020.

Despite having to abolish the regulation, the Ministry of Transport still believes that the conversion to the new PET driver's license has been positively received by many people because it brings many practical benefits to both card issuers and users, such as: higher durability, compact size, high security, and easy detection of genuine and fake cards. The Ministry of Transport also listed a number of shortcomings of the paper card.

According to reports from localities, the Ministry of Transport stated that so far, 95% of car driving licenses nationwide have been converted to PET cards, with only about 300,000 licenses remaining, ensuring completion within 2016 as planned.

Further explaining, the Ministry of Transport stated that the drafting of Circular 58/2015 involved extensive consultation with affected parties via the ministry's electronic portal and the portal of the drafting agency.

However, after being reprimanded by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Transport stated that it is drafting a circular to replace the one regulating the training, examination, and issuance of driver's licenses for motor vehicles. The new circular is expected to be issued in the next few days.

The Ministry of Justice explains the delayed "whistleblowing."

Regarding the discussion about whether Circular 58/2015, issued a year ago, was too late to be "called out," Mr. Dong Ngoc Ba, Director of the Department of Legal Document Inspection (Ministry of Justice), stated that the department only received the copy from the Ministry of Transport after it had been issued for quite some time, as per regulations.

The agency conducted the assessment about three months ago. "To reach a conclusion, identifying only the inconsistencies and aspects that violate legal regulations, it takes time."

"Upon discovering the errors, the department directly contacted the relevant units of the Ministry of Transport. The official conclusion was only recently issued; it wasn't the result of a recent inspection," Mr. Ba said.

Regarding the question of why a circular, immediately upon issuance, faced public opposition but it took a considerable amount of time for the Ministry of Justice to intervene, Mr. Ba explained: "The people and society expect things to be done faster, and we understand that. We have also tried our best to do so."

"The Ministry of Justice has a very small workforce for reviewing legal documents, while the volume of documents issued by ministries, departments, and localities is enormous."

"In this case, it is also necessary to have time for thorough discussion, consultation, and meetings with the issuing agency."

Mr. Ba also added that if the implementation of Circular 58/2015 causes negative consequences, the issuing agency must take steps to remedy them.

According to Tuoitre.