Motorcycle exhaust emissions are the main cause of air pollution in HCM City. — VNS Photo Gia Lộc

HCM CITY — The HCM City Department of Transport has decided to begin checking exhaust emissions in motorcycles from next month on a test basis.

An MOU – signed between the department and the Institute of Transport Science and Technology and the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers earlier this week – requires motorcycles more than five years old to be tested.

The campaign will start next month and last until December.

It will also communicate the benefits of reducing emissions and hold conferences to gather ideas from experts, policymakers and official agencies about how to test emissions.

The impacts of emissions on the city’s socio-economic development will be assessed.

The Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers will fund the programme.

Speaking at the signing ceremony Bùi Hòa An, deputy head of the city Department of Transport, said "There is severe air and noise pollution caused mostly by vehicles.

Increasing emissions are also affecting people’s health."

The People’s Committee would draft policies to regulate motorbike emissions based on the findings of the campaign, he said.

The southern city, like all other provinces and cities in Việt Nam, has yet to check and impose fines on outdated motorcycles, he said.

The country lacks regulations stipulating the maximum life of motorcycles.

In many other countries in the region, tariffs on old motorcycles are very high, and Hà Nội and HCM City especially should consider solutions to take old motorcycles off their roads to limit their environmental impact, experts said.

It would be difficult to force residents not to use old motorcycles at first, but if authorities are determined, it could be done, they said.

Department of Transport statistics show that as of mid-2019 the city had more than 8.1 million motorcycles, which accounted for nearly 90 per cent of all vehicles on the street. — VNS