Ministry tightens diplomatic vehicle useDa Ban By Da Ban - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC – Trading and transfer of diplomatic vehicles will be tightened after the Ministry of Finance’s Circular 19 begins effective on March 28. The circular aims to tighten the management over vehicles with diplomatic plates as many locals are using the vehicles without registrations to avoid taxes and enjoy diplomatic privileges. Diplomatic agencies, consulates general and representative offices of international organizations in the country having five staff or less will enjoy tax-free imports of three autos and two motorbikes. For every three staff added, the organizations will be able to import one more vehicle of each kind while officials and technical administrative staff of diplomatic agencies will be able to import one auto and one bike each. Entities enjoying tax exemptions mentioned above, before re-exporting, transferring or destructing the vehicles, must complete procedures for … [Read more...] about Ministry tightens diplomatic vehicle use
Vehicles
Foreigners share lessons on ‘discouraging’ personal vehicles with Vietnam Info Alert Alert Chia sẻ bài viết qua e-mail
Editor's note: A number of foreigners have shared methods that their homeland use to cope with traffic congestion, following a request by Tuoi Tre News after it was revealed Ho Chi Minh City would start charging personal cars in the city center in an effort to reduce traffic. Congestion chargeIn my home town of London, there's been a fee for vehicles to drive into the city centre for the last 20 years or so. Generally it has worked - congestion can still be bad but it would be a lot worse without the fee - and pollution is down. (According to the Transport to London agency, the congestion charge is a GBP11.50 (US$15.24) daily fee for any vehicle within the charging zone between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday).It was met with quite a lot of anger at the time but they have no choice, CCTV tracks people driving in the respective zone and they are sent bills to pay. You can also register and pay in advance if you know you are going to be driving in the congestion zone. … [Read more...] about Foreigners share lessons on ‘discouraging’ personal vehicles with Vietnam Info Alert Alert Chia sẻ bài viết qua e-mail
Transport Ministry to tighten emission control of vehicles
VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Transport plans to tighten emission control of automobiles to curb air pollution, Giao thong (Transport) newspaper reported on Tuesday. Accordingly, the ministry assigned University of Transport Technology and Viet Nam Register to study and recommend an emission standard upgrade.Under current regulations, diesel engine automobiles are qualified to run on roads if they have Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU) of less than 72 per cent.HSU value of zero indicates perfect transmission, or zero opacity. A value of 100 indicates total absorption, or complete opacity. In other words, zero is invisible, 100 is a thick, dense smoke.Petroleum engine automobiles are qualified to run on roads if they have carbon monoxide (CO) of less than 4.5 per cent and hydrocarbons (HC) of less than 1,200 part per million (ppm).HCs are raw fuel, also known as gasoline. High HC emissions are always a sign of poor fuel ignition.According to a proposal by the University of … [Read more...] about Transport Ministry to tighten emission control of vehicles
Plans weighed to restrict private vehicles in HCMC
Plans weighed to restrict private vehicles in HCMCVan Nam HCMC – Restricting private vehicles is a must to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in HCMC, said the director of the city’s Department of Transport at a meeting on April 27 on the city’s socio-economic performance in the first four months of 2017. Bui Xuan Cuong said the department would send the HCMC People's Committee plans and specific roadmaps to restrict private motorcycles and automobiles in the city. The department is working with relevant agencies to research and map out plans to reduce traffic congestion. Transport experts and scientists will join forces to evaluate and adjust the plans before seeking public comment. "Restricting private vehicles is an urgent task since the development of the city's transport infrastructure cannot meet the fast growth of private vehicles, causing not only traffic congestion but also environmental pollution,” he added. Data as of April 15, 2017 showed … [Read more...] about Plans weighed to restrict private vehicles in HCMC
Hanoians bemoan bureaucratic vehicle registration red tape
Vehicle users in the capital will face fines of up to VND10 million (USD479.38) after a new regulation insists that they must hold documentation that names the primary driver as sole owner. Capital vehicle owners concerned over bureaucratic transport procedures The controversial fine, which took effect on November 10, is six times higher than the earlier level. Hanoi Traffic Police Chief Dao Vinh Thang said the regulation was included in the Decree 71 which was issued over a month ago. Vehicle owners are required to prove their relationship with family members if they share a common vehicle. Unsurprisingly, inhabitants of the capital have branded the procedures as overly bureaucratic. Nguyen Van Vuong, from Tu Liem District’s My Dinh Commune, said “The regulation is a bit vague. Now I don’t know what to do, because in my case I currently use a car that was registered by my father in law. Should I be fined?” Nguyen Thi Lan from Dong Da … [Read more...] about Hanoians bemoan bureaucratic vehicle registration red tape
Experts find downtown vehicle restriction scheme unconvincing
Most experts voiced their disagreements over a scheme to impose a fee on cars entering downtown HCMC to reduce traffic congestion, heard a seminar on December 12. A downtown street is crowded with vehicles. Experts say a project to levy a fee on cars going into the city center remains unconvincingAccording to Tien Phong Technology JSC (ITD) as the investor of the project, the fee would range from VND30,000 to VND50,000 (US$1.32-2.2) per time at rush hours, from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. To collect fees, the company would install 36 automatic collection booths on the streets leading to the city center spanning 930 hectares.The project would need a total investment of nearly VND1.6 trillion (excluding value-added tax) with VND891.1 billion for equipment and VND40.7 billion for construction. Fee revenue would be used to improve public transport.The project is expected to be piloted in December 2019 and officially operated in 2020.Such a scheme fails to find … [Read more...] about Experts find downtown vehicle restriction scheme unconvincing
Dangerous overloaded vehicles still common in Hanoi
Motorbikes being used to carry heavy loads are threatening traffic safety in Hanoi. Two years ago, the authorities issued a ban on unregistered home-made three-wheeled motorbikes as they were often used to carry a large amount of good. However, those vehicles are still being used despite in smaller number and even regular motorbikes and cyclos are now used to carry oversized goods. This is especially dangerous if the goods are steel beams or metal sheets with sharp edges. Recent fatal accidents had occurred on September 23 when a 9-year-old boy collided with steel sheets on a parked cyclo. He died at a hospital due to a deep slash wound on his neck. On September 29, a woman was injured by metal sheets after a motorbike crashed into the group waiting for a bus. Owners of small businesses often choose use their own motorbikes to save transportation fees or hire another motorbike at cheap prices. They are also not worried that their old vehicles will be stolen if left unattended. … [Read more...] about Dangerous overloaded vehicles still common in Hanoi
Motorbike owners to be fined for non-transfer of vehicle ownership
Motorbike owners that have not transferred the ownership of their vehicles will face a fine of VND100,000 (USD4.47) to VND400,000 starting from 2017. Starting from January 1, individuals will face VND100,000-200,000 fine and organisations will be fined VND200,000-400,000 for failing to transfer their vehicles' ownership. Car owners will face fines of VND2m-4m. The Traffic Police Department has asked authorities at all levels and the media to convey the information to the public. Decree 15 issued in April 2015 by the Ministry of Public Security states that individuals or organisations who have motorbike, three-wheeled or electric bikes sold or given to them but change of ownership hadn't been completed must complete the procedure by the end of December 31, 2016. The Traffic Police Department also asked vehicle registration agencies worldwide to speed up the process. A traffic policeman check papers of a motorbike driver The decision to fine owners who fail to transfer … [Read more...] about Motorbike owners to be fined for non-transfer of vehicle ownership
Transport Minister proposes higher fees on personal vehicles
While the “personal vehicle circulation fee” is still a controversy, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has suggested calling it as “personal vehicle restriction fee” and to raise the fee by five percent per annum. The suggestion is mentioned in a Ministry of Transport’s report ontraffic fees, recently sent to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The Ministry also proposes to not impose this fee on public, army and diplomatic cars. The fee on cars will be collected by vehicle inspection centers. The feeon motorbikes will be collected six months later than cars and thistask will be assigned to local governments. In its report to the government last November, the Ministry of Transportproposed the government to impose personal vehicle circulation fee oncars and motorbikes in the five biggest cities in Vietnam, includingHanoi, HCM City, Danang, Can Tho and Haiphong. Cars with less than 9 seats will pay a traffic fee of VND20 million – 50million … [Read more...] about Transport Minister proposes higher fees on personal vehicles
Parking lot owners deny compensation for flood-damaged vehicles
Parking lots in HCM City have refused to compensate owners of hundreds of motorbikes and cars which were damaged in the flood in HCM City. According to the HCM City Fire Police Department, 1,228 motorbikes and 114 cars kept at parking lots in many districts including Phu Nhuan, Thu Duc and Tan Binh had been submerged during the recent flood. Damage was estimated at running into hundreds of millions of VND after hundreds of vehicles were left under two metres of water for more than a day, the department said. Many people have complained that they had to come and take their vehicles for repair after parking lots refused to offer compensation. "I had to call a xe om motorbike taxi to take me home on Monday afternoon after unable to take my motorbike out of the submerged parking lot," said Tran Van Tam from Thu Duc District. "I found my bike broken when I collected it the following day. It cost me over a million VND to repair it, but when I ask the parking lot for compensation, they … [Read more...] about Parking lot owners deny compensation for flood-damaged vehicles