The road to zero pollution

Along with the ban on the non-biodegradable varieties of polythene, the Government is set to take a decision on banning the import of two-stroke three wheelers to the country. Though much delayed, this is a step in the right direction as two-stroke three wheelers emit more noxious gases than their four-stroke counterparts.

Sri Lanka generally lags behind in environmental legislation. Most other countries had banned many varieties of polythene and smoking in public places several years ago. Likewise, many countries where three wheelers are being used have banned two-stroke three wheelers altogether or prohibited them from entering the main cities.

There is no question that three wheelers are much cheaper to buy and maintain than any other vehicle. They provide self-employment to thousands of youth all over the country and at the rate they being registered, more are being added to this legion of the self-employed. For the travelling public too they are a godsend, especially in the rural areas and even in the City, they cost much less than the radio taxi services.

But the fact that almost 90 per cent of the three-wheelers are two-strokes is worrying. This is despite the availability of four-stroke three wheelers which have more powerful but less polluting engines. They are more convenient too, requiring no additional oil unlike the two strokes which require 2T oil on top of petrol.

But the higher price and according to some three-wheeler operators, reliability issues, have inhibited their sales. In this context, the Government should seriously consider reducing some taxes and levies applicable to four-stroke three wheelers and manufacturers and importers should address any reliability doubts.

The local manufacture of four-stroke three wheelers should be encouraged by giving the manufacturers more incentives and concessions as this will help save foreign exchange.

The Government should not stop at banning two-stroke three-wheelers. The import of all two-stroke mopeds, scooters and motorcycles should be banned, as there are plenty of four-stroke alternatives in the market with only a minimal price difference.

Moreover, there is no registration requirement for the mopeds and the riders do not have to wear helmets or carry a licence or insurance. This is not a healthy trend given the existing security situation. Allowing the import of only four-stroke engined two-wheelers above 50 CC will enable the authorities to register them and keep track of their owners.

The Government should also bring its environmental legislation related to vehicles upto date. While other countries have progressed to Euro IV norms regarding vehicular emissions, we allow the import of any type of used vehicle up to three and a half years old (cars/jeeps) and upto 10 years old (trucks/buses) which do not conform to the latest engine emission standards.

The import of so-called reconditioned vehicles saps foreign exchange and helps increase air pollution. It would be far better to slash duties on brand new vehicles to make them more affordable and gradually stop the import of used vehicles as many other countries have done. Higher quality fuel should also be imported, as low quality fuels lead to higher levels of pollution.

The Government should also grant duty and tax concessions for hybrid (petrol engine assisted by electric motor/s) and all-electric cars and motorcycles. Beside using much less fuel (or no fossil fuel at all in the case of all-electrics), they are more friendly to the environment.

Sri Lanka's duty structure on diesel passenger vehicles is also out of sync with the rest of the world, including India. The idea behind this seems to be preventing the private motorist from enjoying the subsidy granted to goods and passenger transport operators, but in the long term such subsidies are not economically viable.

Today's advanced diesels are much cleaner and more fuel efficient than their petrol equivalents, which means that for the same amount of fuel, diesel vehicles go further. One can imagine the fuel bill savings if the majority of our vehicles were diesel-powered. It would be in our interest, in both environmental and economic senses, to slash diesel vehicle duties in the long run.

The Ministries of Environment, Transport, Highways and Petroleum Resources must work together, with local and foreign expertise, to evolve upto date transport legislation that covers all these issues for the benefit of the public.

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