Initially applying to its capital city of Hanoi beginning July 2026, Vietnam has postponed a full ban on petrol powered motorcycles to 2028. The ban would have seen petrol powered motorcycles banned from Hanoi’s Ring Road 1 area from July 1.
Instead, a recently approved project will establish a low-emissions zone within Ring Road 1, with implementation of a roadmap to restrict and gradually prohibit certain petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles to curb air pollution. Divided into three phases, the plan will see areas 1 and 2 of Hoan Kiem Ward from July 1 to December 31, 2026.
Under the low emissions objective, the pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem lake and the night market will be restricted for petrol motorcycles from seven p.m. to midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Ride hailing and delivery motorcycles will not be banned, but operators will be encouraged to limit their activities while priority services will operate as normal, reports news site Vietnam News.
For the second phase, from January 1 to December 31, 2027, the low-emissions zone will be expanded to cover Hoan Kiem and Cua Nam wards. During this time frame, ride-hailing motorcycles and delivery vehicles using fossil fuels will be prohibited from operating within the zone.
Beginning 2028 to December 2029, the entire Ring Road 1 area will be declared a low emissions zone. At that point, all commercial petrol motorcycles will be prohibited from entering the zone while privately owned motorcycles that fail to meet Level 3 emissions standards or higher under QCVN 99:2025/BNNMT are also banned.
Campaigns aimed at raising awareness and improving the preparedness of residents and businesses will be conducted. Owners of motorcycles imported into Vietnam before 2008, or mopeds manufactured before 2016, will be encouraged to reduce their use.
Photo courtesy of Gary Todd.
