An old motorcycle carrying construction materials on Hanoi's street. (Photo: VNA/VNS)

Exhaust emissions from old and raggedy motorbikes have been blamed as one of the causes of air pollution and safety risks in big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Hanoi People's Committee reported that there are more than 5.7 million motorcycles in use in the city, nearly half of which are old motorcycles manufactured before the year 2000. Old motor vehicles emit much greater levels of toxic gases than those that are maintained periodically, it said.

From September last year, Hanoi has implemented a pilot project on emission measurement and support. Under this program, the owners of motorbikes more than 18 years old that do not meet emission standards can claim up to several hundreds of USD to buy a new vehicle. This funding will be provided by the Vietnam Motorcycle Manufacturers Association. But so far it has not been implemented since such a move requires some social costs and administrative procedures that are not specified in the law.