Exhaust emissions

It is very encouraging to read so many letters and articles expressing concern about the increase in exhaust emissions. This shows that the mentality in this country is changing and environmental issues, which in most cases are directly related to better living and health, are becoming more of a concern.

One cannot not agree with the concerns readers are raising. What I do not agree with is the approach they are adopting to address the issue. We tend to overlook what is really the cause of the problem and, instead, tackle problems superficially.

The real culprits for this state of affairs are the different governments (including the present one) who were and still are concerned mainly with the revenue generated by direct and indirect taxation connected with vehicles instead of the health of the people residing on these islands.

Engines of all sizes and nature are the most efficient in the first five years of their lifetime. From then onwards, the engine efficiency starts to deteriorate and from the 10th year the deterioration rate increases further.

Notwithstanding this fundamental fact, one government after the other persisted with the policy of maintaining excessive taxation on vehicles, especially new ones, thereby promoting the prolonged use of aging ones. This practice continued as the country permitted and became the dumping ground of second-hand cars. At one time even scrapped engines were being allowed into Malta. This practice was and still is excessively rampant in the case of construction vehicles and equipment, coaches and cars imported from Japan in particular, though not only.

One government after the other made the lame excuse that the policy of excessive taxation is beneficial for the country because it controls the increase in the amount of vehicles on the road. I classified this statement as nothing more than an excuse and this needs to be further qualified. With the entire taxation regime in place, the number of cars on the road never decreased over the past 25 years. This is proof enough that taxation of whatever kind is not the means to control the increase in the number of vehicles. This policy is only maintained and refined by various governments because of the revenue it generates, completely ignoring the health and well-being of the citizens and the environment and the increase in the health bill required to cure the diseases associated with exhaust emissions.

If governments are really concerned about reducing the amount of cars on the roads, the solution lies fairly and squarely in a very efficient and affordable public transport system. Let no one beat about the bush and say it differently. But public transport is another complex issue and is not within the scope of this write-up.

The solution to cut emission levels is very clear: Encourage a faster turn of vehicles; encourage the use of new fuel-saving systems such as hybrid system driven vehicles; encourage the use of small vehicles and engines; introduce and encourage the adoption of gas as fuel for vehicles instead of diesel; discourage the use of vehicles older than 10 years; abolish the importation of second-hand vehicles for re-sale purposes; and used vehicles should only be imported by individuals taking up residence on the island. In any case conditions should be set out.

At this stage one would tend to say this is easier said than done. In fact, this is where a taxman worth his salt should excel. In simple terms one should reduce taxation as an incentive and increase taxation as a disincentive.

Governments can offer grants to those who want to get rid of aging vehicles or acquire the very latest technologies, which would naturally be more expensive to acquire, though more beneficial to the environment. It is worth noting that new technologies imply that what was very efficient 10 years ago is, by today's standards, inefficient.

Funds for such grants might also be available through various EU schemes; we just have to tap them. This is not a new idea. All over Europe governments give grants to encourage vehicle recycling.

Given today's prices for new vehicles, very few are encouraged to replace a vehicle a year or two after finishing paying the instalments. This is where lower taxation and grants will make replacing an aging vehicle more worth it. On the other hand, if one opts to keep an aging vehicle then one should be made to pay dearly for the damage this choice will be causing.

Trying to achieve lower exhaust emissions from old vehicles is absurd and that is why the Malta Transport Authority is right in not enforcing the regulations because it simply cannot apply them. If these were to be applied most government and its entities' vehicles would fail as would most construction and delivery vehicles and most of the buses.

All health- and environment-conscious citizens should stop cursing vehicle owners and the ADT for the high exhaust emissions. Curse the politicians because they are allowing and promoting such situations.