Under the draft law on road traffic order and safety, people aged 16 or higher would be allowed to ride motorcycles without driving licenses. Motorcycles, including electric motorbikes, are understood to be motorized vehicles with cylinder capacity of below 50 cc, or an electric engine capacity of no more than 4kw.

Experts believe that it would be better to lower the minimum required age to 15.

Nguyen To An, deputy head of the Vietnam Register (VR), cited the Labor Code as saying that workers must be aged at least 15 and healthy enough to ride motorbikes. It is estimated that over 400,000 people aged 15 go to vocational schools or are freelancers, and 1 million people have entered high school.  

People aged 15 and above and 10th graders use motorbikes. A report of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) showed that in the 2022-2023 academic year, there were 2,970 high schools throughout the country. In rural and mountainous areas, many children have to go to school far from their homes.

“If 15-year-olds are not allowed to use motorbikes, this will cause difficulties for them to go to work or to school,” An said, adding that the minimum required age of 15 is more suitable in current conditions.

Agreeing with An, the chair of VAMOBA (Vietnam Auto Motorcycle Bicycle Association), Pham Cuong, proposed lowering the minimum to 15.

He cited a MOET report that showed that there were 1,428,400 ninth graders last academic year, and 1,065,046 continued to study at high school, leaving 363,354 students, or 25 percent,  potentially joining the labor market. 

The figures show that the number of high school students nationwide is high and they need to go to school by motorized vehicle. 

“So, lowering the minimum wage of motorbike drivers to 15 is more feasible,” he concluded.

The 2015 Penal Code stipulates that people 14 to under 16 years old are to be held responsible for illegal racing. Thus, people who are 15 years old are criminally responsible and must be aware of their responsibilities when driving a motorbike.

While proposing lowering the minimum required age of motorbike drivers, experts have suggested that drivers must have an AM driving license (for motorbikes with cylinder capacity of below 50 cc).

N. Huyen