Hanoi will pilot a low-emission zone (LEZ) model next year, prohibiting or restricting polluting vehicles from traveling in densely populated areas, with a view to reducing air pollution and protecting the environment.

In a resolution passed unanimously at a Thursday meeting, the Hanoi People’s Council approved the establishment of LEZs in the capital, with pilot implementation to be carried out in Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem Districts.

According to the resolution, such LEZs will only permit vehicles that produce zero emissions, use green and clean energy, or operate under special authorization or priority from authorities.

In addition to banning diesel-powered heavy trucks, these zones will restrict or prohibit motorbikes and automobiles that fail to meet Vietnam’s level-2 and level-4 emission standards, respectively, during specific time periods or in designated areas.

Hanoi authorities plan to introduce regulations on fees and charges for vehicles with emissions operating in LEZs.

The resolution also outlines policies to support residents and workers within LEZs, as well as businesses and organizations transitioning from fossil fuel-powered vehicles to those using clean energy or producing zero emissions.

A number of LEZs will be set up for trial implementation in Hoan Kiem and Ba Dinh Districts from 2015 to 2030.

The resolution also encourages district administrations in Hanoi to establish their LEZs, specifying three types of areas that should be turned into such zones.

The first category includes areas designated for strict protection and minimal emissions, as outlined in the city's development plan for 2030, with a vision extending to 2050.

The second category applies to areas experiencing frequent traffic congestion, rated from levels D to F under Vietnam's standard 13592:2022 on urban road design requirements.

The third category covers areas where the average annual air quality, based on assessments from at least the most recent year, does not meet the National Technical Regulation on Air Quality.

All designated LEZs must adopt various traffic and economic measures to reduce air pollution and protect the environment, as per the resolution.  

Hanoi also plans to gradually restrict motorbike use in LEZs, with the goal of phasing out those vehicles in central districts by 2030, under a 2017 resolution passed by the People’s Council, Vietnamnet reported.

The LEZ model has been introduced in response to the identification of vehicle emissions as one of the primary contributors to air pollution in Hanoi, according to Nhan Dan (People) newspaper.

PM2.5 particles and volatile organic compounds, major air pollutants, have been found to primarily originate from diesel trucks and motorbikes.

Statistics show that Hanoi's PM2.5 levels between 2018 and 2020 were double the national standard of 25 µg per cubic meter, with vehicles being the largest source, accounting for up to 70 percent of PM2.5 emissions, VnExpress reported.

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