Public rumbling over controversial driving regulations                                  The ministries of Transport and Health have tried to pass responsibility on to each other with regard to a draft circular which stipulates health requirements for drivers.  People with height under 1.45 metres may not be allowed to handle a 55cc motorbike On August 7, a new draft circular on driving regulations issued by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Health, has stirred up public anger. Many people said the new draft circular is strangely similar to the draft circular that was scrapped five years ago. According to the proposed rules, would-be owners of  50cc bikes must meet about 83 different health requirements. The most-talked about regulations allow only people who are at least 1.45 metres high and weigh at least 40kg to drive a 50cc motorbike. The grip pressure by a dominant hand must be 26 kg. and for the weaker hand 24kg.  In addition, vehicle owners must have a chest measurement of at least 72cm. The bigger their measurements are, the bigger the vehicle they can drive. For example, if a driver is 1.62 metres tall and weighs 47kg, they can drive 175cc bikes or trucks. However, if a person meets the height requirement but not the weight requirement, they will not be granted a driving license for those vehicles. Nguyen Van Ngoc, owner of a gym in Hanoi said the regulation about grip pressure is ridiculous. "Women will have great difficulty in fulfilling this requirement. Even the grip force of the dominant hand of a woman who often goes to the gym is only 23-24kg." Khuong Kim Tao, deputy-head of the National Traffic Safety Committee said, "Modern vehicles are much improved compared to the old ones. Such high requirements for bodily forces are not necessary. Besides, small stature drivers are not the main culprits in most traffic accidents." To make it harder to get a driving licence, illnesses and diseases are also considered. People with level 1 hemorrhoids and skin diseases such as psoriasis or fungal infection will not be allowed to drive a heavy truck. Even people that have digestive problems such as stomach ulcers or esophageal varices may not be able to qualify for certain licences. However, the Ministry of Health said to the Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper that they are still in the process of refining the regulations so there is no publicised draft circular yet. The draft circular will need opinions from many agencies such as the Ministry of Justice. Tran Quy Tuong, deputy director of the Department of Examination and Treatment Management, within the Ministry of Health, said the draft joint decree was still not finalised and the researched physique requirements will be adjusted further to suit the drivers of different types of vehicles. Meanwhile, deputy-head of the Ministry of Transport, Nguyen Hong Truong, also said they have not received any draft circular. "We'll never agree to such a circular." he said, "no point sending it to us." Vu Van Trien, head of the Ministry of Transport's Health Department, said that the Ministry of Health is responsible for making the regulations with the consultancy of the Ministry of Transport.  dtinews.vn