On 17/9, the Government Office announced Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha's directives on addressing environmental pollution in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Along with financial support for the transition to green vehicles, the Deputy Prime Minister tasked the Ministry of Finance with developing and submitting policies on taxes, fees, and incentives for the green and circular economies to the relevant authorities. These tasks are to be completed in Quarter IV/2025.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are to publicize their roadmaps for transitioning to green transportation, including specific and feasible support policies to encourage adoption by residents and businesses.
The Ministry of Construction has proposed amending regulations on vehicle emissions inspections to tighten management of older vehicles that don't meet environmental standards. Inspection facilities are expected to provide identification for compliant vehicles.
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Hanoi traffic, chaotic, September 2024. Photo: Pham Chieu |
Hanoi traffic, chaotic, September 2024. Photo: Pham Chieu
The Ministry of Construction will also collaborate with Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to present to the government a roadmap for public transport development, including subways, elevated trains, and clean-energy buses. Both cities need innovative mechanisms to attract private investment in public and green transport.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade, in conjunction with the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Construction, has been tasked with issuing national technical regulations or standards for electric vehicle charging stations installed in public places, parking lots, and rest stops by 15/10. National technical regulations for apartment buildings with charging stations must also be issued within the same timeframe.
When developing urban planning, the Ministry of Construction needs to incorporate electric vehicle charging stations and battery swapping stations.
The Ministry of Health has been assigned to develop a national research program on the impact of air pollution on public health and publish data on pollution-related illnesses. They will also work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to develop an early warning system for air pollution's health impacts.
In mid-July, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested Hanoi to implement solutions for individuals and organizations to transition their vehicles, ensuring that by 1/7/2026, no fossil fuel-powered motorcycles or scooters will operate within the city's Ring Road 1.
Starting 1/1/2028, in addition to the ban on gasoline-powered motorcycles and scooters, private cars using fossil fuels will also be restricted within Ring Roads 1 and 2. By 2030, this will apply to all fossil fuel-powered personal vehicles within Ring Road 3.
Vu Tuan
