Electric scooter riders are crowding registration centers in Hanoi to register their vehicles in anticipation of a recent circular slated to take effect next month.
On Tuesday, floods of residents gathered at local police offices to register their electric vehicles, filling many of the registration offices to capacity.
According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, the registration center on Tran Nhat Duat Street in Hoan Kiem District had over 50 people still queuing for electric vehicle registration during the early evening hours.
Due to the massive influx of people, police were forced to utilize the space under the Chuong Duong Bridge as a waiting area for people who had arrived with their vehicles.
A similar scene took place at a police office in Cau Giay District, with long lines already formed by 7:00 am.
Nguyen Phuong Linh, a Hoan Kiem District resident who arrived at the station at 9:00 am, was still waiting for registration procedures to begin for his vehicle at 4:00 pm.
“I didn’t even dare to go home for lunch today,” he said, adding that he would try his utmost to ensure his daughter’s electric scooter is registered as soon as possible since “the deadline is coming.”
The deadline Linh was referring to is the July 1 mark when electric scooter owners will begin being fined if they have not registered or their bike shows no registration plate while traveling in Vietnam, according to a circular by the Ministry of Public Security.
From that day onwards, commuters wishing to use electric scooters as a means of transport will have to pay registration fees.
Local police were instructed to open additional registration locations to meet the demand of residents, according to Hanoi’s Road and Railway Traffic Police Department.
Crowds of people with their electric scooters stand under the Chuong Duong Bridge in Hoan Kiem District, waiting for their name to be called to begin registration procedures. Photo: Tuoi Tre
A policeman checks an electric scooter’s chassis and engine numbers at the registration office in Cau Giay District, Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre
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