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Eight motorbike stores operated by Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Piaggio and Sym across six districts have begun measuring the emission of customer motorbikes. At a Honda store on Tran Khanh Du Street, an emission measuring device was placed at the entrance. Customers coming for motorbike maintenance are informed of the free emission evaluation.
The device measures the amount of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide in a vehicle’s exhaust fumes.
Khuat Quang Suu, 47, said his motorbike was bought in 2014 and has traveled over 80,000 kilometers. The evaluation revealed his bike’s hydrocarbon level exceeded current standards.
A store employee said Suu would receive a can of oil and a maintenance coupon worth VND200,000 ($8.81).
"We would check the air cleaner, spark plug and engine, as well as change the oil, then evaluate emissions once more. If results still fall outside current standards, we will inform our customers to look for another solution," the employee said.
Suu said he will still change the oil and perform routine maintenance at the store.
"I didn’t think my bike would fail to satisfy emission standards. If the issue isn’t resolved, I would take my bike back to the store for feedback," he said.
Within just one hour in the morning, about 10 bikes were evaluated, with three not meeting emission standards. Besides the emission check, customers would answer a survey regarding the emission evaluation campaign’s impact on the population.
Hanoi follows Ho Chi Minh City to become the second locality to perform motorbike emission evaluation. Nguyen Minh Muoi, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, said air pollution is caused by multiple factors, including industrial activity, biomass burning and vehicle emissions.
By the first quarter of 2019, Hanoi had around 5.7 million motorbikes, two million of which are considered outdated.
"To manage air pollution from vehicles, there needs to be policies regarding motorbikes. The emission evaluation trial is the basis for policymaking and solutions to manage emissions and reclaiming outdated motorbikes in Hanoi," Muoi said.
Le Hoai Nam, head of the environment management department under Vietnam Environment Administration, said the emission evaluation campaign in Hanoi serves to collect data regarding the amount of emissions released by active motorbikes in the city and evaluate the effectiveness of vehicle maintenance. The campaign’s findings would be an important basis for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and other authorities to issue emission standards for motorbikes, he added.
The campaign in Hanoi would last for about a month. Owners of motorbikes registered before 2017 would receive free oil cans, while those that do not satisfy emission standards would receive maintenance coupons. Owners of motorbikes registered before 2002 would be supported with up to VND4 million to buy new vehicles.
The emission evaluation process at a motorbike store in Hanoi, November 12, 2021. Video by VnExpress/Gia Chinh
