Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Gasemissions from motorbikes will be periodically checked under the revisedLaw on Road Traffic which will be submitted to the National Assembly this yearto protect the environment.

Under the revised law, checkswill be carried out by vehicle registration agencies while the Minister ofTransport will stipulate monitoring procedures.

According to the VietnamRegister, motorbike emissions caused serious pollution, especially in bigcities where there were a large number of motorbikes.

However, emissions testing hadonly be applied for new vehicles until now.

All new motorbikes had to meeteuro2 standards in 2007 and euro3 in 2017.

Raising emissions standardsfor motorbikes had helped increase engine quality and reduce pollutantsin the air, said a representative of the Vietnam Register.

However, the rapid increase inthe number of motorbikes had led to increased emissions while legalregulations did not cover used vehicles.

“At present, the country hasmore than 50 million motorbikes in circulation, accounting for 95 percent ofmotor vehicles and emitting 80-90 percent carbon monoxide (CO)and hydrocarbons (HC), and 50 percent of nitrogen oxide (NOx) of the totalfrom all motor vehicles,” Dang Tran Khanh, deputy head of Motor VehicleEvaluation at the Vietnam Register, told atgt.vn.

“Motorbikes in HCM City and Hanoiaccount for 25 percent of the total nationwide, so the air pollution they causeis very serious,” said Khanh.

The PM had already approved aproject to monitor emissions from used motorbikes, said Khanh.

The register had set up somemeasures but they could not be completed because they were regulated bythe existing Law on Road Traffic, Khanh said.

“Now we have to wait until therevised law is passed,” he added.

According to Khanh, theperiodical checks could be carried out by private entities including motorbikemaintenance centres, motorbike dealers and vehicle register centres,while State authorities would supervise and grant certificates for emissionsstandards.

Agreeing withthe added clause, Duong Van Chu, director of the vehicle registercentre in Bac Kan province, said the new content was necessary and needed aroad map for implementation.

The new regulation should beapplied in big cities first, he said.

In addition, it was necessaryto closely monitor and strictly manage the quality of accrediting units toensure transparency and effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Khuong Kim Tạo, aformer official at the National Committee of Traffic Safety, said therevised law should set the framework for motorbike emissions control.

“Supervising the quality ofperiodical checks will be very complicated so there should be penaltiesimposed for the owners of vehicles that display signs of emitting black smokeor a worn appearance,” Tao said./.