Red light for belching vehicles

Rajmi Manatunga

COLOMBO: The Government will implement new regulations on belching vehicles before the year end to take black smoke emitting vehicles off the road.

Environment and Natural Resources Ministry Secretary Ravi Jayalath said the regulations which have already been gazetted, will be implemented once emission testing centres are set up around the country to check vehicles plying Sri Lankan roads.

In terms of the regulations, the manufacture, assembly, import or use of a vehicle emitting smoke exceeding 80 per cent in opacity will be a punishable offence.

The regulations also require all motor vehicles used in Sri Lanka to undergo a mandatory emissions test carried out by the Motor Traffic Department or any other authorised institute, following which a certificate will be issued.

The certificate, to be renewed annually after an emission test, will be compulsory for the use of any motor vehicle. The Commissioner of Motor Traffic will be provided access to the data collected by testing centres islandwide.

Motor Traffic Commissioner B. Wijayaratne said the tender for setting up and carrying out testing centres has already been awarded to a private company after receiving Cabinet approval.

"However, the signing of the agreement with the company has been delayed due to certain technical problems. Once it is signed and the centres are established we will apply the regulations strictly," he said.

Vehicle emissions are a major source of urban air pollution in Sri Lanka. The main air pollutant in Colombo and other suburbs is Particulate Matter in vehicle emissions which could penetrate the lungs and the blood stream.

It has been revealed that the current concentration of Particular Matter in Colombo is sufficient to cause a 30-35 per cent increase in asthma, cough and bronchitis.