Reporting emissions

Reference is made to the letter Where There Is Smoke... (September 11).

The authority needs to clarify two main points: (i) The Emissions Alert! Campaign was launched with the primary aim of creating awareness among motorists about the negative impact of noxious emissions. The idea is that motorists fix their vehicles before they are reported.

(ii) The system had to take into consideration potential abuses, hence the requirement to receive various reports from different mobile phone numbers about a particular vehicle before calling it in for testing.

Regarding the correspondent's claim of poor implementation, the ADT feels obliged to explain, once more, how the system works.

To date, there were 75,000 SMS reports received. The average number of reports received per vehicle, excluding those that did not receive sufficient reports to be called in for testing, so far was 30, with the highest number for one particular vehicle being 284.

The ADT assures the public that it is committed to continue taking all necessary action against those vehicles that are reported for excessive emissions. In fact, as part of the ADT's commitment to the provision of cleaner air quality, earlier this year the ADT provided training and equipment to local wardens who are now also randomly carrying out road-side emissions tests.

The ADT once again wishes to thank the public for its continued and wholehearted support for this civic-minded campaign. The public is reminded to report vehicles on 5061 1899.