Of the 16,661 expired cars, 2,618 were passenger cars and 14,043 cargo cars. Most of the expired vehicles were in HCM City (3,309) and Hanoi (1,670).

Meanwhile, the number of revoked vehicles just accounted for 30 percent of total expired vehicles.

On December 11, 2019, a 16-seat car carrying eight people crashed into a cliff on Pha Ban slope in Ky Son of Nghe An province, causing three deaths and four injuries. The vehicle had expiration date of January 1, 2017.

The Vietnam Register (VR) has asked motor vehicle registry centers across the country to provide data to the traffic police and local transport departments, and coordinate with on-site control units to seize expired vehicles.

The Vietnam Register (VR) has asked motor vehicle registry centers across the country to provide data to the traffic police and local transport departments, and coordinate with on-site control units to seize expired vehicles.

Twice a year, the agency reviews and reports to the Ministry of Transport, the National Traffic Safety Committee, the Traffic Police Department and local authorities, proposing to take the expired vehicles out of circulation. The details of the cars can be seen on the official website of the agency.

In addition, there will be a red cross on the stamp the agency gives in the last registry, three months before the expiry date. This allows relevant agencies to easily monitor and handle vehicles when they reach expiry date.

“The expired cars will be ‘locked’ and eliminated from the list of registered vehicles,” a VR’s official explained.

VR inspection tours to localities have found that expired vehicles were still running there.

In general, expired vehicles are mostly brought to construction sites, remote and rural areas, where they can more easily escape the supervision.

However, also according to the official, the confiscation of expired vehicles must be implemented by the police, not a registry agency.

“If relevant agencies don’t handle the problem with a heavy hand, there will be more and more expired vehicles in circulation, which will threaten traffic safety,” he said.

Hanoi Vice Mayor Nguyen The Hung has asked the transport department and the police to report the handling of expired vehicles.

According to the Chief Secretariat of the Office of National Traffic Safety Committee Nguyen Trong Thai, the registry agency provides a list of vehicles with expiration dates to the transport police and relevant agencies every year.

“Expired vehicles clearly are no longer safe for circulation. Most of the vehicles are registered in cities but are later brought to rural areas,” he said. 

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