Exchange of fake helmets begin in Hanoi

On the morning of March 23, the National Traffic Safety Committee launched the program of exchanging fake helmets for standard helmets at four places in Hanoi. The buyers were discounted for VND30,000-VND50,000 compared to the listed prices.

VietNamNet Bridge – On the morning of March 23, the National Traffic Safety Committee launched the program of exchanging fake helmets for standard helmets at four places in Hanoi. The buyers were discounted for VND30,000-VND50,000 compared to the listed prices.

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At the Thong Nhat Park, a large number of people took their helmets there to change for new ones. Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang dropped at this place to encourage people to use standard helmets.

At the Ha Dong flower garden, Mr. Khoa, from Hoai Duc district, said that he knew about the helmet exchange program on the newspaper, so on his way to work he dropped at this site to exchange his old helmet to a new one.

"I bought this helmet two years ago. It has a quality label, but I do not know about its quality. I trust the quality of helmets provided by this state’s program. For my safety, I come here to exchange my helmet. I do not care about the price. The most important is the quality," he said.

Nguyen Tien, a student of the Institute of Posts and Telecommunications, took his helmet and two others of his friends to the Ha Dong flower garden for exchange. Tien said these helmets do not have a quality label so he and his friends were afraid of being fined by traffic policemen. However, he finally exchanged only one helmet because the prices are still high for students.

"I thought that a priced-subsidy helmet would be only several tens of thousands dong, but in fact I have to pay up to VND170,000 ($8)," Tien explained.

People had to take their old helmets to these helmet-exchange points to exchange for new ones, with the prices of VND30,000-VND50,000 lower than the listed price.

According to the National Traffic Safety Committee, there are two brands of subsidized helmets – B’color and Chita - provided at the four points of the Hang Dau Park (Phan Dinh Phung Street, Ba Dinh District), Thong Nhat Park (Tran Nhan Tong, Hai Ba Trung District), Thanh Cong Park (Dong Da District) and Ha Dong flower garden (Ha Dong district).

A representative of B'color said that the company plans to provide 200,000 helmets in Hanoi in three months. Meanwhile, a representative of the popular helmet brand Protec said this firm has implemented the helmet exchange program for three years, with the discount of VND50,000 ($2.5).

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hiep, Vice Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Commission, said that the agency has verified the listing prices and the market prices of helmets to ensure that people are actually subsidized.

This campaign is expected to last in Hanoi in three months. If it is effective, the program will be carried out nationwide.