The transport ministry has asked the government to allow electric cars to run in Viet Nam, apart from the four cities and provinces currently testing the vehicles for tourist purposes.

Electric cars for tourists are popular in Ha Noi, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh, besides other provinces and cities such as Khanh Hoa, Da Nang and Thua Thien-Hue, which have also decided to use the cars for transporting tourists.

The transport ministry's assessment said electric cars would be completely reliable and safe for transporting tourists, with no accidents being reported so far involving the vehicles.

The cars are considered to be environment-friendly as they run on electricity only, which helps to promote green tourism.

The latest proposal by the ministry said four-wheeler electric vehicles would be operated in limited areas, particularly tourist spots such as ancient towns and historical sites across Viet Nam.

The scale of the limited areas and the number of the electric cars allowed to be run there will be under the control of the provincial or city People's Committee.

The transport ministry also said electric cars should be registered and given licence plates for monitoring purposes.

Electric cars are yet to be regulated under the Road Traffic Law, leading to difficulties in monitoring and collecting road taxes such as tolls and road maintenance fees.

Despite a circular being issued by the ministry in 2014, which clarified the technical requirements for the electric cars and their drivers, no regulations have yet been issued concerning the passenger fares collected by electric car operators.

A decree to monitor the operation of electric cars is being considered by the transport ministry, and is expected to be submitted to the government for approval in the fourth quarter this year.

VNS