HA NOI — A new set of standards on car and motorbike exhaust fumes will be applied under a new Government regulation in five big cities of Ha Noi, Hai Phong, HCM City, Da Nang and Can Tho from July 1, 2007.

According to statistics, Viet Nam currently has some 600,000 cars nationwide. The new strict application of exhaust standards is considered a good movement to control antiquated cars’ exhaust outlet to minimise pollution.

However, millions of motorbikes, the major means of local transportation, are out of control.

Exhausting problem

Air pollution, especially in big cities, is mainly caused by vehicles. Environmental experts say that vehicles cause 70 per cent of all air pollution. Mirroring the increase in the number of vehicles, traffic jams and stalled traffic also cause dust and carbon oxide pollution.

Viet Nam took steps to reduce exhaust poison levels by excluding leaded petrol in July 2001, setting strict standards for imported and used cars in the cities of Ha Noi, Hai Phong, HCM City, Da Nang and Can Tho.

Under these regulations, outdated cars and cars not meeting the exhaust standard will not be allowed to be registered and used. However, the problem is that motorbikes also cause air pollution.

The number of motorbikes has reached 16 million, accounting for nearly 96 per cent of all local means of transportation. Old motorbikes spewing black smoke are a common sight not only in cities, but also the countryside.

Researchers say the amount of fumes discharged by the 16 million motorbikes altogether will be equal or even bigger than that discharged by the existing 600,000 cars.

Viet Nam Register Administration Vice Director Do Huu Duc said there were too many motorbikes but it had become an essential need. But it was impossible to control motorbike exhaust, because no standards had yet been set.

The department is now mapping a project to control exhaust for motorbikes and other vehicles in cities under Prime Minister’s Decision No. 249.

Catalytic converters

Most of the poisonous gases released by industry and vehicles that affect human health negatively are carbon oxide, hydro carbon, sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds.

In the absence of a control standard for motorbike fumes, the best solution at present is to find a way to minimise fumes from all engines to save the environment.

Researchers at the Material Science Institute said they would either establish a clean manufacturing chain or use poison-treatment technology to minimise global pollution.

The best solution for reducing toxins in internal combustion engines’ exhaust fumes is catalytic technology.

This has been used worldwide for more than 30 years, with 500 million cars and 85 per cent of new cars equipped with the technology which is compulsory in many countries.

Duc said that to conform to the EU’s strict environmental standards, while there was no regulation of motorbikes, assembling filter equipment in cars and motorbikes was vital.

"Yet, to apply this technology, Viet Nam needs a long-term strategy on exhaust standards for cars and motorbikes," he said.

Quality, safety and environmental protection standards for vehicles are becoming more stringent all over the world. In the international integration progress, these standards will become common rules.

Viet Nam is now allowing the importation of old cars, and their exhaust fumes could seriously harm the environment if there are no strict rules. Application of the EURO 2 standard for cars in cities is essential before applying international standards on environmental protection.

Prime Minister’s Decision No. 249 states that local and imported motorbikes must meet a new exhaust standard equivalent to the EURO 2 standard by July 1, 2007. But this will not affect the 16 million local motorbikes, which will cause problems if a suitable solution is not found. — VNS

Source: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=07SOC040806