Manufacturers get tough in Vietnam
Mooted regulations to limit the use of motorcycles in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City has seen the major manufacturers unite to state their caseLocal subsidiaries of Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki have joined Italian company Piaggio and Taiwanese firm SYM to establish the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM) to lobby against the country’s mooted restrictions on the use of scooters and motorcycles in major urban areas.
The three Japanese manufacturers account for an estimated 80 per cent of the country’s annual motorcycle sales of three million units. There are 37 million registered motorcycles in the country, which has a population of 90 million.
Motorcycles are the most common mode of transportation for Vietnamese citizens in urban areas, but their huge numbers have resulted in heavy traffic congestion in the morning and evening. In addition, an average of 26 people are killed daily across the country in traffic accidents -- most involving motorcycles.
The government last year set a goal of reducing the number of registered motorbikes to 36 million by 2020. In a recent governmental meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also touched on spectre of limiting the use of motorcycles in major cities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
Many ordinary citizens have joined the motorbike manufacturers in protesting the plans. But politicians and experts maintain that regulations will be needed to ease traffic congestion and to improve air quality.
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