Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has urged the ministries ofTransport and Public Security to increase inspections and the punishmentof those who continue to use banned vehicles.

Under Government resolution No 32/2007/NQ-CP, all homemade vehicles,including dilapidated trucks and unregistered and self-modified threeand four-wheel motor vehicles, were banned from the streets as of June2008.

The regulation is aimed at reducing traffic jams and accidents.

Deputy director of the Hanoi Transport Department Nguyen Xuan Tanadmitted that many vehicles subject to the ban are still found on thecity's streets.

"Violators will be fined or have their vehicles confiscated," he said.

To support these owners, the Government has decided to provide themwith financial aid to change their vehicles by the end of this year.

Assistance packages will start at 5 million VND (263 USD) andthose who choose to replace their vehicles will receive 9 million VND(473 USD) towards the purchase of a new one.

Specialfinancial assistance will also be provided to owners of banned vehicleswho are beneficiaries of social welfare. Disabled people will beeligible to assistance of 20 million VND (1,052 USD) and the poor andethnic minorities will be eligible to 15 million VND (789 USD).

Authorities in many cities and provinces will also provide poor ownerswith preferential loans, vocational training and jobs to createfavourable conditions for them to change the illegal vehicles which theyuse as their primary source of work.

Hai entrusted theMinistry of Finance to work with relevant ministries and agencies toreview the implementation of the support policies and report to thePrime Minister before the end of the year.

There areestimated 2,000 self-modified three-wheel vehicles in Hanoi while thefigure is predicted to be over 22,000 in HCM City - the most inthe country. /.