Motorbikes meeting emission standards help conserve fuel: ministry

Amendments to the Law on Road Traffic being drafted by the ministry mandate regular emission checks for all motorbikes.

Owners can save money on fuel by conforming to emission standards since their motorbikes will be more efficient, and they will also last longer, the draft says.

A well-maintained motorbike reduces fuel consumption by up to 7%, authorities point out.

The checks will be done at designated stations. Pure electric bikes will be exempt.

Motorbikes are the biggest source of emissions, but the 2008 Law on Road Traffic is silent on emission management.

In 2010 the government tasked the ministry with creating a roadmap for regulating motorbike emissions, and Hanoi and HCMC with setting up testing centers.

The aim was for at least 80% of motorbikes to have their emission standards tested by 2015. But these never materialized even as the number of motorbikes kept increasing rapidly in major cities.

There were over 72 million registered motorbikes in the country in 2022. Hanoi authorities are now drafting plans for testing motorbikes five years old or more for emissions.

Those failing to meet emission standards will not be allowed to enter certain areas in the city.