Da Nang to pioneer testing of motorbikes' exhaust fumes

Da Nang might become the first city in the country to require inspection of motorbike exhaust fumes if the Vietnam Register's recent proposal to the Transport Ministry is approved.
Da Nang might become the first city in the country to require inspectionof motorbike exhaust fumes if the Vietnam Register's recent proposal tothe Transport Ministry is approved.

The proposal suggests threestages of roll out for the programme. Starting July 2018, exhaust fumeinspections will be required of Da Nang citizens who have motorbikes 10or more years old. The following year, the requirement will expand tomotorbikes five or more years old.

The hope is the policy willexpand to include motorbikes registered in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Can Tho andHo Chi Minh City by July 2020.

Motorbikes that do not meetexhaust fume standards would have to be updated and re-verified. Thosethat meet standards would receive a stamp. Those found failing to updatetheir motorbikes, or have a stamp of approval, would be subjected tofines.

Residents complain that the arduous motorbike fees theyalready have to pay will increase yet again if the new measures areadopted.

Nguyen Huu Tri, deputy head of the Vietnam Register,told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that residents would likely only need topay 100,000-150,000 VND (4.7-7.1 USD) for a yearly inspection.

Theagency also intends to request that motorbike-manufacturing firms suchas Honda, Suzuki, Piaggio and Yamaha set up stations to verify exhaustfumes.

In addition, any enterprise with qualified employees inpossession of standard equipment to check exhaust fumes can register toset up verifying stations.

According to officials, Da Nang citywas selected for the pilot because of its reasonable size - 1 millionresidents and 713,000 registered motorbikes – and its reputation forgood public administration.

The efforts to monitor and controlmotorbike exhaust fumes are part of the Prime Minister's Decision 909,issued on June 17, 2010.

Decision 909 required that at least 20percent of bikes in the country cut down on exhaust fumes in the 2010-13period, but efforts to do so failed to materilise until now.

Statisticsfrom the Vietnam Register show that by the end of 2014, the number ofregistered motorbikes in Hanoi, Da Nang, HCM City, Hai Phong and Can Thototaled at 13.5 million, about 30 percent of the total motorbikesnationwide.-VNA

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