In an interview with Dân trí on the afternoon of February 13, Mr. Ngô Đình Quang, Head of the Driver’s License Testing and Issuance Management Division (Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport), revealed that the software system for issuing driver’s licenses encountered issues, causing drivers with B1 or B2 licenses to only be able to convert to a B license, not C1, when applying online.
“This is an issue with the software handed down by the Directorate for Roads of Vietnam,” the division head explained. Currently, the Directorate for Roads has formed a task force to address this problem.
“Citizens Have a Choice”
For drivers who apply in person, Mr. Quang emphasized that they have the right to request a conversion from their old B1 or B2 license to either a B or C1 (new) license. According to the law, Ho Chi Minh City’s transport authorities must honor the citizen’s choice.
However, drivers can only switch to a license category that matches their medical examination results, as the health requirements for a C1 license are higher than those for a B license.
The online driver’s license exchange system rejects conversion from B2 to C1 (Photo: Screenshot).
Currently, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has three locations for in-person driver’s license exchanges: (1) 252 Lý Chính Thắng, Ward 9, District 3; (2) 8 Nguyễn Ảnh Thủ, Trung Mỹ Tây Ward, District 12; (3) 111 Tân Sơn Nhì, Tân Sơn Nhì Ward, Tân Phú District.
“We are doing our best to facilitate fully online driver’s license exchanges for citizens. The Directorate for Roads has already set up a task force to fix the software, but since it needs to be addressed across all 63 provinces and cities, Ho Chi Minh City still has to wait,” Mr. Quang shared.
Similarly, the Bình Dương Department of Transport is also unable to process online conversions from B1 or B2 licenses to C1 due to the software glitch. However, leaders from the Transport Management Division confirmed that in-person exchanges at public service offices are functioning normally.
In an interview with Dân trí, Mr. Nguyễn Hồng Thanh, Deputy Director of the Tiền Giang Department of Transport, said that while the department initially faced difficulties, it proactively had its IT department make adjustments to resolve issues for citizens converting from B1 or B2 licenses to C1.
“Whether it’s B or C1, citizens choose which license category they want, and we issue accordingly. Officials also consult and ask drivers which category they wish to switch to,” Mr. Thanh shared.
Currently, according to Circular 36/2024/TT-BYT, which outlines health standards for car drivers, holders of a B-class license only need to meet group 2 health standards, while C1 license holders must meet group 3 standards.
Group 3 health standards are stricter than group 2, particularly regarding hearing ability, physical disabilities, and certain medical conditions. For example, individuals with diabetes who have experienced diabetic comas within the past month will not meet group 3 health standards but may still qualify for group 2.
What If You’ve Already Switched to a B License? Can You Convert Back to C1?
When asked about cases where drivers mistakenly applied to convert their B1 or B2 licenses to a new B license and now wish to switch back to C1, the Head of the Driver’s License Testing and Issuance Management Division in Ho Chi Minh City stated that authorities cannot accommodate such requests.
“According to the law, when citizens apply for a license conversion, they fill out a form specifying the desired license category. Once signed, applicants are responsible for their choice,” Mr. Quang informed.
If both the medical examination report and application specify a conversion to C1 but the issued license remains a B, Mr. Quang acknowledged this as a processing error, and the driver has the right to request a reissue to the correct C1 category.
Regarding the same question, a representative from the Bình Dương Department of Transport stated they are “reviewing the matter” and have yet to resolve any cases switching back from B to C1.
In an interview with Dân trí, Mr. Vũ Huy Ngọc, owner of an event organization business in Phú Quốc (Kiên Giang Province), shared that he was one of the rare cases whose file was “retracted” to allow him to convert his license to C1.
Mr. Ngọc successfully received a C1 license after two weeks of waiting (Photo: NVCC).
Previously, both doctors at the clinic and staff at the Kiên Giang Department of Transport advised Mr. Ngọc that a B2 license could only be converted to a B. He completed the paperwork to renew his B license and submitted it at 5 Mậu Thân Street (Rạch Giá City).
Three days later, after reading advisories recommending that B2 licenses should be converted to C1 instead of B, he rushed back to Rạch Giá and visited 5 Mậu Thân Street. At that time, officials still told him his license couldn’t be upgraded to C1.
“Since the law clearly allows the conversion, I asked why it wasn’t possible. They directed me to the Department of Transport office at 1190 Nguyễn Trung Trực. There, officials explained that due to the new law, the software hadn’t been synchronized yet, so B2 licenses were automatically being converted to B,” Mr. Ngọc recounted.
Officials asked Mr. Ngọc to “understand.” However, he explained that he drives a truck with a payload of 2.5 tons and a vehicle weight of around 2.4 tons, making the total weight close to 5 tons. He couldn’t drive this vehicle with a B license (which requires a maximum gross weight of no more than 3.5 tons).
After hours of discussion and persuasion, staff at 1190 Nguyễn Trung Trực finally helped adjust Mr. Ngọc’s license conversion from B2 to C1 instead of the original B2 to B request. However, he had to complete additional paperwork required for the C1 category.
“On the day I received my license and saw ‘C1’ printed on it, I was thrilled. I’m very grateful to the officers at the Kiên Giang Department of Transport for helping me through the process,” Mr. Ngọc shared.
As previously reported by Dân trí, many drivers faced disadvantages when renewing their car licenses because their old B1 and B2 licenses were converted to the new B category. A B license has stricter limitations compared to B1 and B2, particularly regarding the payload capacity of trucks.
Specifically, B1 and B2 licenses allow drivers to operate vehicles carrying up to 9 passengers or trucks with payloads under 3.5 tons. Meanwhile, a B license permits driving vehicles with up to 9 seats (including the driver’s seat) but only trucks with a maximum gross weight of up to 3.5 tons.
To avoid these limitations, the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety allows drivers to convert their B1 or B2 licenses to either B or C1. A C1 license covers all vehicles in the B category and additionally permits driving trucks with a gross weight between 3.5 and 7.5 tons.
Source link: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/thiet-thoi-khi-doi-bang-lai-b1-b2-so-gtvt-noi-gi-20250213193706125.htm
