Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is a bustling economic center facing significant traffic congestion. To alleviate this, the city has implemented truck restrictions in HCMC. What are these regulations exactly? This article provides detailed information.
KIA K250 truck with a load capacity of 2.49 tons, commonly used for goods transportation in inner cities.
Truck Ban Hours in HCMC for 2024
According to Decision No. 23/2018/QĐ-UBND, the truck restrictions in HCMC are updated as follows:
- Small Trucks (under 2.5 tons): Prohibited from circulating in the inner city from 6 AM – 9 AM and 4 PM – 8 PM daily.
- Heavy Trucks (over 2.5 tons): Prohibited from circulating in the inner city from 6 AM – 10 PM daily. Outside of these hours, heavy trucks are allowed to travel on designated corridor routes.
The truck restrictions in HCMC help reduce traffic load, especially during peak hours. Violators may face fines of up to 2 million VND and revocation of their driver’s license for up to 3 months.
Truck Classification Under Restriction Regulations
To better understand the truck restrictions in HCMC, it’s essential to understand the classification of vehicles as follows:
- Heavy Trucks: Cargo volume from 2.5 tons and above, including specialized vehicles, tractors, and semi-trailers.
- Goods Vehicles: Vehicles used for transporting goods or specialized equipment, with a certificate of technical safety and environmental protection inspection, with a load capacity of under 1.5 tons (excluding pickup trucks).
- Pilot Vehicles (4-wheeled engine-powered cargo vehicles): Motorized vehicles with two axles and four wheels, cargo box and engine mounted on the same chassis. Vehicle weight does not exceed 550kg.
- Trucks (Cargo Vehicles): Vehicles used for transporting goods or specialized equipment, with a certificate of technical safety and environmental protection inspection, with a load capacity of more than 1.5 tons.
- Tractors: Self-propelled machines on tracks or tires for bulldozing, digging, pulling, grading, lifting, loading, and pushing.
- Small Trucks: Cargo vehicles with a cargo volume under 1.5 tons, passenger cars (excluding pickup trucks), trucks with a cargo volume from 1.5 tons to 2.5 tons, and pilot vehicles.
- Trailer Trucks: Vehicles designed to tow trailers.
- Semi-Trailer Trucks: Motor vehicles specialized in transporting goods where the cargo container is a semi-trailer.
- Trailers: Vehicles designed so that the total weight of the trailer does not rest on the towing vehicle.
- Pickup Trucks: Vehicles with a cargo bed and integrated body, cargo volume less than 1.5 tons and under 5 seats.
Inner-City Areas Subject to Truck Restrictions
Truck restrictions in HCMC are applied in the inner-city area, bounded by the following routes:
- National Highway 1 (from the intersection of National Highway 1 – Hanoi Highway to the intersection of National Highway 1 – Nguyen Van Linh Road).
- Hanoi Highway (from the intersection of National Highway 1 – Hanoi Highway to Cat Lai traffic intersection) – Mai Chi Tho Avenue – Dong Van Cong Street (to Vo Chi Cong Street).
- Vo Chi Cong Street (from Dong Van Cong Street to Phu My Bridge) – Phu My Bridge – Overpass (from Phu My Bridge to the intersection of Zone A South Saigon) – Nguyen Van Linh Road (from the intersection of Zone A South Saigon to National Highway 1).
Corridor Routes for Trucks
Certain corridor routes are designated to allow truck traffic during specific hours. Detailed information on these routes can be found on the website of the HCMC Department of Transport. Understanding the truck restrictions in HCMC and corridor routes will help transportation businesses operate efficiently and avoid penalties.
