This enforcement drive, initiated by Colonel Tran Dinh Nghia, Head of the Hanoi Traffic Police Department, received support from six task forces dispatched by the National Traffic Police Department, under the Ministry of Public Security. The operation targeted actions such as covering license plates, applying paint or stickers, and attaching plates that did not match vehicle registration. Drivers caught engaging in these violations face significant penalties. For motorcycle drivers, fines range from 4-6 million Vietnamese dong (VND), alongside a deduction of six points from their driving licenses. Car owners committing similar offenses are subject to fines between 20-26 million VND and a six-point license deduction, as stipulated by Decree 168/2024.

The crackdown addresses a growing issue where drivers attempt to evade traffic fines, particularly "cold fines" issued through artificial intelligence (AI) cameras installed on many Hanoi streets. Many drivers, especially ride-hailing motorcyclists, deliberately conceal or alter their license plates. Common methods include using face masks to cover plates almost entirely, or applying black tape to change numbers, such as modifying 0, 9, or 3 into 8, or 5 into 6, and F into E.

A driver uses a face mask to cover a license plate, subsequently fined by traffic police. Photo: Viet An

Other tactics involve using stickers, blackening parts of the plate, or employing paper clips. Shippers often use sacks or goods to obscure their plates, making them unrecognizable to cameras. The National Traffic Police Department asserts that covering license plates constitutes a deliberate attempt to evade law enforcement and disrupts social order and safety. Some individuals exploit this practice to commit crimes and avoid detection. Authorities are currently researching and proposing increased penalties for these types of violations.

When stopped, many drivers offered various excuses, claiming ignorance, accidental dirt on the plate, or even blaming children for sticking items on the plate. Some admitted to having removed tape due to increased police enforcement but had not cleaned the plates entirely.

Viet An