Vietnam will not require citizens and companies to switch to fully electric transport, especially for road vehicles. People and businesses will be free to choose green transport suited to their economic and social conditions and the state of transport infrastructure.
On November 5, the Government Office sent the Ministry of Construction document No. 11281/VPCP-CN, conveying instructions from Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc. The ministry was asked to complete the Strategy for the Development of Transport Services and the action programme for green energy transition and greenhouse-gas emissions reduction in transport.
The Ministry of Construction must fully consider directions given by General Secretary of the Communist Party Central Committee and President To Lam at a November 2 meeting on the development of national logistics and logistics infrastructure. It must also review and explain the opinions of government members on draft decisions approving the strategy and action programme, avoid overlap with the logistics-sector development strategy, and report the completed drafts to the prime minister before November 15.
The Permanent Deputy Prime Minister called for the documents to clearly set out coordinated measures encouraging citizens and companies to adopt green transport. They must not require, or set a mandatory timetable for, vehicle owners, citizens or businesses to switch to fully electric or other green road vehicles.
Hanoi has been piloting a low-emission zone since July 1 under Resolution No. 57/2025/NQ-HĐND and the low-emission-zone plan within Ring Road 1, approved under Decision No. 3273/QĐ-UBND. During the first stage, from July 1 through December 31, the restrictions apply in areas 1 and 2 of Hoan Kiem Ward.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the low-emission zone is still at the policy-development stage, and no official rules have been issued. Under a draft resolution prepared by the city administration and opened for public comment in October 2026, the city proposes piloting a low-emission zone from January 1, 2028, in the existing central area and the Thu Thiem new urban area, covering about 15.6 square kilometres. From January 1, 2030, the proposed zone would expand to the entire area 2, including the area inside Ring Road 2.
Sources: Dân Trí
