The Mũi Né traffic police checks if a foreigner on a motorbike has a driving licence. Motorcycle rental businesses are taking no chances either when renting to foreigners. — Photo laodong.vn

LÂM ĐỒNG — Motorcycle rental businesses in the central province of Lâm Đồng – known for resort towns Đà Lạt and Mũi Né – are scrupulously following the law when it comes to foreign customers following a spate of accidents around the country in the past few months.

In March, an intoxicated foreigner crashed into a taxi and severely injured a police officer in the province's coastal Mũi Né Ward before being apprehended.

Local businesses are all for being careful while renting vehicles to expats and tourists.

"Tourists without valid driving permits should not be allowed to drive vehicles," Pascal Lefebvre, director of Jibe’s Beach Club in Mũi Né, said.

He said shops renting out motorbikes must have proper licences and insurance, and suggested offering 50cc motorbikes to tourists without valid driving licences as a practical alternative.

Renting motorbikes is popular because it offers foreigners greater flexibility while travelling outside the city centre compared to ride-hailing apps.

Some resorts in Mũi Né are prohibiting staff from helping foreign tourists rent motorbikes, and tell them instead to introduce them to authorised tour operators.

With foreign visitor numbers surging in summer, foreigners on motorbikes are a common sight across Mũi Né, which has the region's largest expat populations and nearly 40 licensed rental businesses.

The local police are inspecting rental businesses to ensure they have licences and adhere to regulations, especially on international driving permits.

Authorities have made clear to businesses the importance of checking driving licences and the fact that violators face tough penalties. 

They have also been asking foreigners riding motorbikes for licences for the last month or so, and found many without them. — VNS