The Roadway Department of Vietnam has urged local authorities to install supplementary road signs for pickup trucks. This directive follows the implementation of Decree 241, which took effect on 1/7, allowing double-cab pickup trucks with a total mass under 3,5 tons to operate like passenger cars. The department’s request aims to resolve confusion caused by existing "no trucks" signs, which do not account for this new regulation.

On 7/7, at a seminar on pickup truck policy organized by Construction Newspaper, Le Hong Diep, head of the Traffic Management and Organization Department at the Roadway Department of Vietnam, stated that pickup trucks are classified into three categories: passenger pickup cars, single-cab pickup trucks, and double-cab pickup trucks. Single-cab and double-cab pickup trucks are categorized as trucks under current vehicle classification regulations.

Diep noted that many countries classify pickup trucks as trucks for traffic management. However, Decree 241 permits double-cab pickup trucks with a total mass under 3,5 tons to operate like passenger cars. This adjustment pertains solely to traffic organization, not the technical classification of these vehicles.

He explained that traffic management on national highways and expressways under the Ministry of Construction's purview falls within central authority. Conversely, provincial, district, and commune roads, along with many locally invested expressways, are under the jurisdiction of provincial People's Committees (UBND).

Consequently, localities have the authority to implement traffic regulations and install road signs within their areas. However, many locations currently display only "no trucks" signs without supplementary signs specifying that double-cab pickup trucks are exempt under the new regulation. This oversight has led to confusion among drivers and enforcement officers.

Following the issuance of Decree 241, the Roadway Department of Vietnam instructed localities to review and update road signs pertaining to trucks. "Roadway management agencies currently using 'no trucks' signs should consider adding supplementary signs to exempt double-cab pickup trucks, in line with Decree 241", Diep stated.

An Isuzu D-Max driving in Ha Long, Quang Ninh. Photo: Luong Dung.

A representative from the Roadway Department of Vietnam explained that traffic signs are symbolic and cannot fully represent all vehicle types, especially with three distinct pickup categories. Therefore, the department will research and propose improvements to the sign system to better differentiate vehicle groups in the future.

Addressing public concerns about Decree 241 altering tax and fee policies for pickup trucks, representatives from the Ministry of Construction and the Vietnam Register confirmed that the new regulation has no impact on existing policies.

Tran Quang Ha, Deputy Director of the Department of Science, Technology, Environment, and Building Materials at the Ministry of Construction, clarified that the technical classification of pickup trucks remains unchanged. Historically, pickup trucks were grouped with trucks, exempting them from special consumption tax applied to passenger cars. However, as these vehicles gained popularity for personal use, the Ministry of Finance introduced a special consumption tax policy for them, set at a lower rate than for passenger cars. "Decree 241 only modifies traffic organization; it does not alter vehicle classification criteria used for tax calculations", Ha affirmed.

Anh Duy