Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi Face the Risk of Having Only Two Vehicle Inspection Centers Operating in Each City

Recently, the Vietnam Register has issued a warning that the vehicle inspection systems in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are facing significant challenges. Currently, 55% of inspectors in Hanoi and approximately 40% in Ho Chi Minh City have been indicted. Once these inspectors are convicted and their sentences come into effect, the shortage of inspectors will inevitably lead to congestion in the vehicle inspection process and may even trigger long-term traffic safety issues.

According to Mr. Nguyen To An, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Register, the agency has implemented several strategies to prevent the recurrence of inspection congestion that occurred at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. These strategies include enhanced monitoring, risk forecasting, and the preparation of contingency plans to address potential situations. However, despite these measures, the shortage of inspectors is expected to worsen in the coming months as more cases conclude and sentences are enforced.

Currently, 275 out of 295 inspection centers nationwide are operational, providing 448 inspection lines, which are sufficient to meet the needs of the public and businesses. However, with more inspectors expected to lose their licenses, under the current regulations of Decree 139/2018/NĐ-CP and Decree 30/2023/NĐ-CP, any inspection center with two inspectors losing their licenses will face a three-month suspension. This could result in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City each having only two operational inspection centers in the worst-case scenario.

This situation will have multiple impacts. First, the public's demand for vehicle inspections may not be met in a timely manner, leading to vehicle congestion, longer wait times, and disruptions to daily life and economic activities. Second, delays in vehicle inspections could result in uninspected vehicles being allowed on the roads, increasing the risk of traffic accidents and violations, further threatening public safety.

In response to this imminent crisis, the People's Committees of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have requested support from the military and traffic police to dispatch inspectors to assist with inspection duties. This is a short-term emergency measure aimed at reducing service disruptions caused by the inspector shortage. However, it is only a temporary solution and does not address the root of the problem.

At the same time, the Ministry of Transport is submitting a proposal to the government to amend Decree 139. The proposal suggests temporarily not revoking the licenses of inspectors who receive suspended sentences or are not detained and not suspending inspection centers that have two inspectors lose their licenses. These amendments aim to maintain the normal operation of inspection centers to ensure that public and business inspection needs are met in a timely manner.

The Ministry of Transport has completed the draft of these amendments and has sought feedback from the Ministry of Justice and other relevant agencies. Once these amendments are approved and officially implemented, they will effectively alleviate the current congestion problem and prevent inspection centers from being forced to suspend operations due to a lack of personnel.

In addition to legal and policy adjustments, the Vietnam Register has also been working with the Hanoi Department of Transport, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport, and other relevant agencies to develop various contingency plans to deal with the worst-case scenarios. These plans include increasing the number of inspectors and, in exceptional cases, deploying military and police personnel to ensure the continued operation of inspection services.

Overall, the vehicle inspection system crisis facing Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi is not just a local issue but a significant challenge affecting national traffic safety and the quality of public services. Finding a short-term solution to the inspector shortage and establishing a more stable and effective inspection system in the long term will be key issues that policymakers and relevant agencies need to address in the future.