Hanoi's vehicle inspection centers are under less pressure now that efficient solutions have reduced the number of cars in line and the workload for technicians.

A car under check at the registration center in Yen Nghia Ward, Ha Dong District. Photo: Pham Cong/The Hanoi Times

At the Inspection Center 2903V on Cau Giay Road, the number of vehicles queuing for inspection on March 14 was much smaller than on previous days.

Meanwhile, at Inspection Center 2904V, located near Noi Bai International Airport on Bac Thang Long Highway, the workload of the facility's engineers and officials has been reduced after three traffic police officers joined the operation.

Each driver was given a number that helped identify his orders. According to the center's director, at least 50 cars were checked on March 14.

The decrease in the number of drivers and cars waiting at the inspection centers proves that the measures taken by the local authorities have yielded good results.

In recent months, hundreds of thousands of cars have overwhelmed Hanoi's vehicle inspection centers, which lack the engineers and officials to inspect them.

Many registrars and officials have been arrested and prosecuted for taking bribes and approving vehicles with substandard mechanics and exhaust systems, leading to traffic accidents and environmental pollution risks.

During the raids, local authorities have temporarily closed many inspection centers for investigation, leaving drivers very few destinations to take their cars for the regular check.

Nguyen Chien Thang, director of the Vietnam Register under the Ministry of Transport, said that the agency has been working with the traffic police department for a short-term way out to deal with the issue.

The Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security sent 30 officers on March 12 to help Hanoi-based inspection centers cope with the workload.

Thang said the Vietnam Register had asked registrars and officials from other provinces to help ease the workload of the few remaining inspection centers in Hanoi.

In addition, Thang said that the agency is asking retirees to return to work and those on bail to continue working.
Meanwhile, he added that the Vietnam Register would organize short-term training courses and tests to increase the number of available registrars for local registration centers.

According to the director of the Vietnam Register, other possible solutions include exempting brand-new cars from first-time inspection and extending the registration expiration date, which may become official later this month.

In addition, local authorities plan to reopen 15 inspection centers that have been closed for 1-3 months to serve the investigation. These facilities will be operational again if they have sufficient engineers and machines.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation has recently asked the Traffic Police Department to allow vehicles whose inspection certificate expires in less than 15 days to be on the road heading to the inspection centers. These vehicles will not be able to carry goods and passengers.

According to Le Xuan Duc, deputy director of the Traffic Police Department, the department will send 100 officers to Hanoi and HCM City to assist with car inspection work starting from March 15.