HCMC 2018 Truck Ban: Pickup Regulations

To address the increasing traffic congestion in the inner city, Ho Chi Minh City has implemented various measures, including truck ban regulations. 2018 marked a significant adjustment in these regulations, particularly impacting the operation of pickup trucks. If you are using a pickup truck for business or goods transportation in HCMC, understanding the 2018 HCMC pickup truck ban regulations is crucial to ensure legal and efficient traffic operations.

This article from Xe Tải Mỹ Đình (My Dinh Truck), a specialist in trucks and related regulations, will provide the most detailed and comprehensive information about the 2018 HCMC pickup truck ban regulations. We have compiled information based on the official legal document, Decision No. 23/2018/QĐ-UBND dated July 19, 2018, of the People’s Committee of HCMC, along with reputable press sources, to provide readers with a comprehensive and easy-to-understand overview.

Detailed Regulations on Pickup Truck Ban Hours and Related Vehicle Types in HCMC 2018

Vehicles Not Affected by Truck Ban Regulations

Before delving into the details of pickup truck ban hours, we need to clarify which types of vehicles are not subject to these regulations. According to Decision 23/2018/QĐ-UBND, some vehicles are excluded, including:

Trucks serving military, police, fire fighting, and traffic inspection purposes while on duty.
Small pickup trucks, hearses, van trucks carrying 5 or more people or with a payload under 500kg.

Thus, it can be seen that pickup trucks are not completely banned from traffic. However, it is necessary to clearly distinguish which types of pickup trucks are exempt and which are subject to the hour restrictions.

Latest Truck Ban Hours in 2018 According to Decision 23/2018/QĐ-UBND

Decision No. 23/2018/QĐ-UBND officially took effect on August 1, 2018, bringing some notable changes to the truck ban hours in HCMC. Specifically, the truck ban hours are applied as follows:

Light trucks: The truck ban hours are extended compared to before, applied during the time frame:
- From 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM
- From 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
  Outside of these hours, light trucks are allowed to operate normally on non-restricted routes.
Heavy trucks: The truck ban hours are shortened, but still longer than for light trucks, specifically:
- From 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
  During the remaining time (from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM the next morning), heavy trucks are still allowed to circulate on certain designated corridor routes.

Map of HCMC truck ban zones and alternative routes.

Detailed Classification of Truck Types According to Regulations

To accurately determine whether your pickup truck is subject to hour restrictions, it is necessary to understand the classification of trucks according to regulations in HCMC:

Light trucks: Include:
- Cargo trucks with a payload under 1.5 tons (excluding pickup trucks, van trucks carrying people).
- Trucks with a payload from 1.5 tons to 2.5 tons.
- Pilot vehicles (4-wheeled engine-mounted cargo vehicles).
Heavy trucks: Include:
- Trucks with a payload over 2.5 tons.
- Tractors, specialized vehicles.
- Semi-trailers pulled by cars or trailers.
Cargo trucks: Motor vehicles designed to carry goods or specialized equipment, with safety and environmental protection inspection certificates and a payload less than 1.5 tons (excluding pickup trucks).
Trucks (cargo trucks): Motor vehicles designed to carry goods or specialized equipment, with safety and environmental protection inspection certificates and a payload greater than 1.5 tons.
Pickup trucks (pickups): Vehicles with an integrated cargo bed structure, payload less than 1.5 tons, and fewer than 5 seats. An important point to note is this definition of a pickup truck; your pickup truck may be considered a light truck if it exceeds these specifications.
Pilot vehicles (4-wheeled engine-mounted cargo vehicles): Engine-powered vehicles, 2-axle, 4-wheel, engine and cargo bed mounted on the same chassis (similar to trucks under 3.5 tons). Vehicles use gasoline engines, maximum power not exceeding 15kW, design speed not exceeding 60km/h, and vehicle weight not exceeding 550kg.
Tractors: Self-propelled engines using tracks or tires to perform tasks such as lifting, loading, digging, bulldozing, grading, pulling, and pushing.
Semi-trailer trucks: Motor vehicles specialized in transporting goods where the cargo body is a semi-trailer.
Trailer trucks: Motor vehicles designed to pull trailers.
Trailers: Vehicles designed so that the total weight of the trailer does not rest on the towing vehicle.

Inner City Areas of HCMC Applying Truck Ban Regulations

The 2018 truck ban regulations apply to the inner city area of HCMC, bounded by the following routes:

North and West: National Highway 1A (from Thu Duc intersection to the intersection of National Highway 1A and Nguyen Van Linh street).
East: Hanoi Highway (from Thu Duc intersection to Cat Lai traffic junction) – Inter-Provincial Road 25B (from Cat Lai traffic junction to the intersection of Inter-Provincial Road 25B – Eastern Ring Road).
South: Eastern Ring Road (from Inter-Provincial Road 25B to Phu My Bridge) – Phu My Bridge – Overpass (connecting from the traffic junction of South Saigon Zone A to Phu My Bridge) – Nguyen Van Linh street (from the traffic junction of South Saigon Zone A to the intersection of National Highway 1A – Nguyen Van Linh).

Note: Trucks are allowed to circulate without time restrictions on the ring roads bordering the inner city area mentioned above.

Cases Where Trucks Are Permitted to Operate During Ban Hours

Despite the truck ban hours, there are still some cases where trucks are granted special permits to operate in the inner city area, both day and night, to ensure essential city operations are not disrupted. These cases include:

Vehicles serving electrical grid repair and construction for the electricity sector.
Vehicles serving information rescue, post office construction, communication information công trình repair, vehicles transporting and distributing newspapers, postal items, and specialized postal parcels.
Vehicles serving public lighting repair, emergency bridge and road repair, water supply and drainage, park and green tree care, and garbage trucks.
Light trucks carrying goods and express delivery for businesses (carrying postal items and parcels licensed by the Department/Ministry of Information and Communications), goods serving import and export (breeding stock, seedlings, ornamental fish, fresh flowers, and food such as meat and seafood, etc.).
Light trucks specialized in carrying cash, gold, silver, and gemstones.
Light trucks of businesses transporting industrial meals and fresh food (meat, seafood).
Vehicles of sectors serving food safety inspection, quality measurement, disease prevention, hospitals, and medical centers.
Light trucks serving the railway and aviation industries.
Transport vehicles carrying tools and equipment serving major city holidays, Tet, and festivals.

Conclusion

Understanding the 2018 HCMC pickup truck ban regulations is both a responsibility and a right for every individual and organization using pickup trucks in business and transportation. Understanding the regulations, vehicle classifications, ban hours, applicable areas, and permitted cases helps you proactively plan transportation, avoid traffic violations, and optimize work efficiency. This article from Xe Tải Mỹ Đình hopes to have provided you with useful and necessary information. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice and support.

HYUNDAI VIET NHAN – 3S STANDARD HTCV DEALER
Address: 368A National Highway 51, An Hoa, Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai
Hotline: 0985.960.960 – 0908.188.070
Website: https://hyundai-vietnhan.vn/
Email: [email protected]