Cars and motorbikes will have to meet higher emission standards.
Vehicles in circulation and imported vehicles are expected to be subject to the roadmap for applying level 3 emission standards from July 1, 2019.
Air quality is affected
The Vietnam Register has just submitted to the Ministry of Transport a roadmap for applying level 3 emission standards to motor vehicles in circulation and imported used motor vehicles.
Specifically, the Vietnam Register proposed that vehicles equipped with forced-ignition engines (gasoline engines, liquefied petroleum gas - LPG and similar types): motorbikes, scooters and similar types of vehicles, including motor vehicles for the disabled, must apply emission level 3 from July 1, 2019.
Vehicles equipped with compression ignition engines (diesel engines and similar types) must apply level 3 from July 1, 2019.
Roadmap for applying emission standards for vehicles in traffic: vehicles with spark ignition engines and compression ignition engines must apply level 2 corresponding to each type of engine from July 1, 2019.
Vehicles participating in traffic equipped with spark ignition engines and compression ignition engines must apply level 3 corresponding to each type of engine prescribed from July 1, 2022.
|
Cars and motorbikes in circulation will have to meet higher emission levels than they do now. |
The Department of Registration said that in 12 years of implementing road vehicle emission control according to Decision No. 249/QD-TTg in 2005 of the Prime Minister, the inspection of motor vehicle emissions in circulation has been carried out effectively, maintaining good emission quality of motor vehicles.
However, if in 2008 there were 946,601 vehicles, then in 2017, the number of vehicles increased to 2,902,623 (3.06 times more), so if considering the total emissions from cars, the pollution level has increased significantly.
Along with that, according to air quality assessment reports, especially in the two big cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the nitrogen and carbon indexes, which are compounds in the exhaust gas of motor vehicles, have exceeded the permitted level by 1.2 to 1.5 times. This is negatively affecting people's health.
As of September 2017, the number of diesel engine inspections was 874,367, of which the failure rate was 12.1%, and the number of gasoline engine inspections was 759,243, of which the failure rate was 4.11%.
The Department of Registration stated that the rate of failed inspections tends to decrease gradually because the quality of vehicles has increased due to the replacement of expired vehicles with new ones, and vehicle owners are aware of maintenance and repair between cycles and before inspection.
Specifically, in 2017, the rate of diesel engine vehicle inspections reached 87.9%, and gasoline engine vehicles were 95.89%. This shows that current emission standards are no longer effective in protecting the environment.
Emission non-compliance rates will increase
According to Decision No. 249/QD-TTg, imported used cars with gasoline engines are subject to level 3 emission standards, and diesel engines are subject to level 2 standards. All used vehicles imported into our country meet these requirements.
Used imported motorbikes and scooters apply level 2 emission standards. In fact, the number of used imported motorbikes and scooters in our country's market is very small (almost non-existent), so changing the standards does not affect social activities.
Raising emission standards will directly impact vehicles in circulation through an increase in the rate of cars that do not meet the standards. Vehicles that may meet the old standards will not meet the new standards, leading to having to take their vehicles in for maintenance and repair.
For diesel engines: if level 2 or 3 standards are applied, the rate of failed inspections will increase accordingly in the years. Specifically, in 2017, the rate of failed inspections when applying level 2 was 30.71% and level 3 was 37.41%.
For gasoline engines: if the standards at levels 2 and 3 are applied, the above numbers will increase accordingly: In 2017, the rate of inspections that do not meet the HC concentration standards at level 2 is 3.37% and at level 3 is 5.42%; The rate of inspections that do not meet the CO concentration standards at level 2 is 6.18%% and at level 3 is 8.47%.
“Thus, if emission standards level 2 or 3 are applied, diesel vehicles will be more affected than gasoline vehicles with the rate of failed inspections increasing to over 30% and 37%. As for gasoline vehicles, the impact is not as great with a low rate of failed inspections,” the Vietnam Register predicted.
The increase in emission standards according to Decision 249/QD-TTg (the highest level is level 3) is assessed to not affect the import of used motor vehicles because the emission quality of imported vehicles is much higher than the above standard level.
The application of level 2 standards at the present time does not have a major impact on economic issues because vehicle owners only need to focus on maintaining and servicing their vehicles according to the manufacturer's instructions between two vehicle inspection periods and before performing the inspection.
