Vehicles with low emission standards will have separate stickers and pay higher fees?

Red stamp for vehicles that do not meet emission standards

Mr. Nguyen Huu Tri - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Register informed that, following the direction of the Ministry of Transport, the Department has recently studied solutions for tighter control, in order to limit pollutants from automobile exhaust fumes in accordance with local and regional conditions. After organizing a workshop and receiving opinions, the Department has finalized a proposal to raise the current emission standards and will submit it to the Ministry of Transport in early August 2018.

Mr. Tri informed that through many specialized seminars organized by the Department of Registration, many experts and businesses said that in case the vehicle does not meet emission standards, it is still allowed to circulate but will be given a red sticker and must pay a higher environmental protection fee.

It is expected that cars that meet low emission standards will have red stickers and pay higher fees.

As for whether or not to ban low emission vehicles from operating, provinces and cities can decide for themselves. The red stamp helps authorities detect and handle violations of the operating area.

“The Vietnam Register will propose to add more automobile emission standards according to the following levels: Gasoline vehicles are only allowed to have a maximum of 3.5% CO; diesel vehicles are allowed to have 60% HSU, 800 HC (ppm volume).

This is the same standard as level 2 stipulated in Decision 249 dated October 10, 2005 of the Prime Minister on the roadmap for applying emission standards to road motor vehicles, applied from the end of 2019. At that time, there will be cars that must meet higher emission standards than the current ones to be granted an inspection certificate for circulation," said Mr. Tri.

Along with that, vehicles will be classified by age to apply appropriate standards. Specifically, the new standards will be applied immediately to all vehicles manufactured after 1999. In case of failure, the inspection period will be extended for one more cycle. As for vehicles manufactured before 1999, the current standards will be applied.

10 years without change in emission standards

According to the Department of Motor Vehicle Inspection, Vietnam Register, currently some countries in Asia and the world control emissions based on vehicle age and operating area. Among them, some countries stipulate that vehicles that meet high emission standards are allowed to circulate in core urban areas.

In fact, in Vietnam, if higher standards are applied to all vehicles, many older vehicles will have difficulty meeting them, and repair costs will be expensive or even impossible to meet.

The above solution aims to help businesses and owners of old vehicles reduce the cost of repairing and upgrading vehicles compared to the plan of applying higher standards to all types of vehicles. In addition, inspection centers also have advantages in testing emissions, without having to invest in emission measuring equipment or change testing methods compared to the present.

Vietnam's current emission standards have remained the same for 10 years.

Regarding the plan to control emissions according to vehicle age, the Vietnam Register also plans to apply a red inspection sticker with a cross on vehicles that only meet low emission standards as a sign of recognition.

Vietnam’s current emission standards have remained unchanged for 10 years. Meanwhile, the number of cars nationwide has increased more than 3 times (currently more than 2.92 million vehicles), causing total emissions to increase significantly.

According to some environmental studies, the pollutant indexes in car exhaust fumes such as CO, HOx in some large cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have exceeded the permitted level by 1.2 - 1.5 times.

According to the research results of the Vietnam Register, the increase in emission standards will have the greatest impact on diesel trucks, especially trucks with a load capacity of 2-7 tons and passenger vehicles over 20 years old that are not subject to age regulations (less than 9 seats). This group of vehicles has the highest failure rate in the first emission measurement.

The Vietnam Register has proposed three options to raise the emission standards for vehicles in circulation higher than they are now and add a load measurement method, with a roadmap to apply from July 1, 2019.

In particular, the most notable and feasible option is to apply the 60% HSU standard in diesel vehicle emissions (12% reduction compared to present) from July 1, 2019; 3% CO and 700 HC (ppm) levels.

In 2024, the rate will be 50% HSU, 2.5% CO, 500 HC (ppm); in 2029, the rate will be 40% HSU, 2% CO and 350 HC (ppm). Imported used vehicles will be subject to higher standards than those currently in circulation. Localities may report to the Prime Minister for prior permission to apply, depending on specific conditions.

“The Vietnam Register will assess social impacts, seek opinions from transport businesses and vehicle owners to propose official standards and solutions suitable to actual conditions,” Mr. Tri informed.