For many East Asians, light two-wheelers are the only and cheap alternative to cars. But the dirty air polluters have become a problem in Vietnam's big cities. Other East Asian countries are also aware of the problem.
There are simply too many of them rattling through Vietnamese cities, spewing their exhaust fumes into the air and clogging up the streets. The Vietnamese government has therefore decided to phase out most motorbikes in the five largest cities by 2030. This affects the cities of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang and Can Tho. In the capital Hanoi, all motorbikes are to be banned from the inner city districts by 2025. In return, public transport is to be massively expanded. This is also to be financed by a congestion charge. In November last year, the city's first metro line went into operation.
In Jakarta, Indonesia, with its 16 million motorbikes, an environmental zone with special rules has been in effect since February this year: On three days, only odd number plates are allowed on the road, on the other three days only even number plates. On Sunday, everyone is allowed to ride. The aim is to reduce both noise and pollution in the city with its ten million inhabitants. Other major cities such as Bogor, Cirebon and Bandung also introduced this straight/odd rule in the first months of this year. Checks are carried out at checkpoints on all entry roads leading into the city centre.
Singapore is taking a different approach, namely that of the low emission zone as we know it in Europe. Strict emission regulations will apply in the zone as early as next year. Motorbikes registered before 1 July 2003 will no longer be allowed to drive in Singapore from 2028. In Singapore, anyone who deregisters their old motorbike even gets a bonus of the equivalent of 2000 euros. As a result, 60 percent of the old two-wheelers have already been deregistered. This is also a way to combat noise. From 1 April 2023, newly registered motorbikes must comply with our Euro Standard 4 noise regulations, i.e. they must produce a maximum of 77 decibels while driving. Also, since 2020, there is a regulation that only allows old cars to be replaced, but does not allow any additional cars. Gradually, the rules of the low emission zone are to become stricter and stricter.
You can easily see what the rules of the low emission zones in Europe look like in our free Green Zones app.