Getting rid of those fumes

A few weeks ago I replied in this column to a complaint on exhaust fumes emitted from cars, trucks and buses. This is one of the most frequent complaints people raise with me and I know they feel strongly about it. I do too. This is an issue that affects our quality of life and our health.

I had explained that there is indeed an EU law on "VRT" that our transport authority, the ADT, is required to enforce. I said I would be writing to the ADT about this matter and that I would refer it to the European Commission if no satisfactory reply was forthcoming.

However, I was pleased to receive a detailed response from ADT which I would like to share with you.

At the outset the authority confirmed that testing procedures and methodology used in Malta are compliant with EU standards.

On whether these standards are being enforced, the authority reported that last year alone, about 3,000 vehicles out of 100,000 that were tested failed the test on the exhaust emission part requirements. A three per cent failure rate is not high but it nevertheless represents an encouraging sign that something concrete is being done about this.

The authority went on to explain why, despite having 3,000 cars less to contend with on this score, we still regularly come across vehicles of all types belching black smoke on our roads.

The most important reason is that, regrettably, there is a large number of vehicles that are not tested for exhaust emissions because they are exempt from the law. Indeed, cars that pre-date January 1980 are exempt from this test because EU law does not apply to them. And, as it happens, the percentage of older vehicles in Malta is much higher than in other EU countries.

Ironic as it may be, therefore, this exemption excludes a large number of buses and trucks as well as a significant number of cars in Malta - because they are older than 25 years.

I am aware that the government is in the process of helping bus owners to change old buses by forking out a significant subsidy at our expense as taxpayers. The ADT reports that it has already replaced 147 old buses with new low-floor buses which, of course, are low on emissions. This is a very costly exercise and I hope it leaves the desired results. I am not sure whether this exercise will actually rid us of all buses that are out of line. But if it does not, then some other measure must surely be taken. ADT should work on this point.

As to trucks, I know that changing them would also entail a significant cost to our construction industry. But trucks, particularly the older ones, are also to blame for the intolerable state of our roads. I am told they damage our roads because they are loaded with more weight than EU limits. Here too ADT should act by, perhaps, setting a reasonable time frame within which trucks which are not compliant must be taken off the roads.

As to cars that are older than 25 years, I do not see why the situation cannot be remedied. Why not, for instance, grant owners an incentive to replace their old car by purchasing a new car at a reduced rate of car registration tax or an exemption? This would, at one stroke, replace all the environmentally damaging vehicles on our roads with cleaner cars without actually increasing the total number of cars. And it would probably also contribute to reduce our public health services bill which must also cope with the health problems caused by air pollution.

In its reply, the authority also noted that there are other reasons which may explain why we still see cars emitting black smoke on our roads. It said this could be the result of poor vehicle maintenance between one VRT test and another (tests are only carried out once every two years) or that the VRT test was not properly carried out.

On this last point, the ADT said that it increased its spot checks on VRT stations to ensure that VRT tests are being carried out properly and, indeed, two VRT stations have had their licences withdrawn. A number of other VRT stations have also been penalised.

The authority also said it is increasing roadside checks of commercial vehicles using portable emission-testing equipment. And ADT personnel regularly report vehicles that are observed emitting excessive smoke and these are summoned and required to undergo another VRT test.

Like many of you, I am still concerned at the issue of excessive exhaust emissions from vehicles of all types. But I must welcome the genuine efforts being made by ADT, a relatively young authority, to sort out this problem. In the circumstances, I feel there is no case of referring the matter to the European Commission because there is clearly no lack of will in enforcing the law.

But I will keep on the lookout on this matter and I hope that the authority will find alternative ways to deal with those vehicles that are currently exempt from the law. We can hardly accept a situation which threatens public health merely because there is a loophole in the law.

Readers who would like to raise issues or ask a question to Dr Busuttil are invited to send an e-mail, making reference to this column, to contact@simonbusuttil.com