Fuming

A total of 624 vehicles have been tested so far after more than 31,100 text messages were sent to the Malta Transport Authority reporting vehicles spewing exhaust fumes, according to figures issued by the authority.

An individual offending vehicle may be reported a multitude of times. In fact, to rule out the possibility of abuse, the authority only takes action against a vehicle after it is reported at least three times.

The authority launched an enforcement system last August giving citizens the opportunity to report vehicles emitting smoke by sending an SMS.

Judging by the number of text messages received, there has been an enthusiastic response to the Emission Alert SMS 4 Clean Air Campaign. In the first month alone, more than 15,000 reports were sent in.

An ADT spokesman said around 27 per cent of the vehicles failed the test. The number which failed, however, was on the decline as the public became more aware of the importance of ensuring emissions comply with the law, she added.

Ten per cent of the tests were on public transport vehicles where the failure rate was the same as that for other vehicles.

The number of reports sent in weekly has remained stable since the campaign was launched.

Vehicles, the spokesman said, were being tested within one or two weeks from the report date owing to the large number of reports received.

Vehicle owners who do not take their car for the test are issued with a road licence restriction preventing them from renewing their road licence until their vehicle passes the test.