A workshop has been held in Hanoi to promote dissemination work on legal regulations relating to the use of electric motorcycles and bikes to ensure safety for riders.

The August 26 workshop saw the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Transport, the National Traffic Safety Committee and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Participants put forward proposals for improving the legal framework on electric two-wheel vehicles, including registration and quality control. They pushed for further helmet safety awareness raising and campaigns warning against listening to music or using mobile phones whilst driving.

Khuat Viet Hung, Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said that there have been a number of electric scooters and bikes of unknown origin and of low quality. Many of them have been reported to be involved in numerous serious traffic accidents, he added.

A representative from the Road and Railway Traffic Police Department stated that many people are often unsure what kinds of electric vehicles require registration and called for a clearer classification and registration procedure.

Statistics for the period from 2009 to May 30, 2014 showed that 1,564 electric scooters and 59,765 electric bicycles were imported into Vietnam. However, millions of bikes are estimated to have been brought into the country without legal registration paperwork.-VNA