Hanoi’s authorities have announced that they would ban and seize all homemade three-wheeled motorbikes not owned by disabled veterans as of June 30, 2018.

Thousands of three-wheeled motorbikes are being used in Hanoi.

The three-wheeled motorbikes are popular for transportation because they are cheaper to operate and can easily enter small alleyways. As a result, there are many people pretending to be war-wounded veterans or disabled people and use three-wheeled motorbikes to earn some money.

"The Department of Transport has set up four landmarks as well as solutions to end such cases. Those three-wheeled motorbikes are brought into Hanoi from other provinces and are a risk to traffic safety," said Ha Huy Quang, deputy director of the Department of Transport.

According to the department, it is trying to classify the owners and how the motorbikes are used. They will also ask the disabled people and veterans to promise to not use three-wheeled motorbikes for transportation.

"Violators will be fined the first time and have their vehicles seized if they continue violating the regulations," said the department's representative.

For the next step, the local authorities will discuss the problems with firms that hire three-wheel motorbikes to transport goods and ask veterans not to rent or lend their vehicles.

By the end of 2017, the department will collect reports and opinions to draft plans about how to help disabled people and wounded veterans make a living from their motorbikes and submit it to Hanoi People's Committee. 

The motorbikes must register from January 1 to June 30, 2018. The motorbikes must meet required criteria and the riders must have good health. They are not allowed to use the vehicles to transport goods or passengers. After the deadlines, unqualified motorbikes will be seized.

Veteran Hoang Tien Vin who lost one of his legs said the demand was high and there was no vehicle that can replace the three-wheeled motorbikes. He has no idea how to earn money if he is banned from transporting goods.

Another veteran Nguyen Quoc Dung said, "I'm the family's breadwinner and earns about VND500,000 (USD22) a day. I need some support from the government to find new jobs if I'm banned from working with the motorbike."

 dtinews