Vietnam's southern metropolis names cars, motorbikes top culprits in air pollution crisis

The municipal People’s Committee earlier this month said years of air quality data show PM2.5, PM10 and total suspended particles at traffic-heavy sites like Phu Lam, the Huynh Tan Phat–Nguyen Van Linh intersection and Cat Lai often exceed national safety limits, especially in the dry season, when dust lingers in the air.

The city is now home to more than 9.6 million registered vehicles, including over a million cars and 8.6 million motorbikes, not counting the constant stream of transient traffic. Vehicle numbers have jumped sharply since 2024, with cars up 9% and motorbikes up 2%, adding intense strain to both roads and air quality.

Efforts to rein in emissions have lagged due to staff shortages, outdated equipment and delays in environmental projects. But the city is pushing ahead with an emissions-control roadmap, aiming for all buses to switch to clean energy by 2030. Next, incentives will target electric conversions for taxis, ride-hailing fleets and private vehicles, with plans to replace more than 400,000 gasoline-powered motorbikes used by ride-hailing drivers.

Ho Chi Minh City's findings align with certain studies about Hanoi. A 2023 study funded by the Vietnam National University in Hanoi identified motorbikes and cars as one of the main contributors to smog in the capital city, although Nguyen Hoang Anh, acting head of Environmental Quality Management at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, said at a forum earlier this month that vehicles are only responsible for 15% of air pollution in Hanoi.

A 2023 World Bank report found that only one-third of Hanoi’s PM2.5 comes from within the city. The rest drifts in from nearby provinces and regions.

Starting July 2026, the capital plans to ban gasoline and diesel motorbikes from its core Ring Road 1, with restrictions gradually extending to Ring Roads 2 and 3, in an effort to reduce pollution.