Improving air quality: Higher taxation, incentives to scrap old vehicles among public suggestions
Transport is a major contributor to air pollution.
Higher taxation for polluting vehicles and incentives for the removal of old vehicles from the roads were among the most frequent suggestions made to Mepa as part of a public consultation on reducing the concentration levels of fine dust in the air.
Mepa in a statement explained that over the past few years, Malta had found it difficult to comply with EU limit values of particulate matter (PM10) - dust particles that are generally less than 10 millionths of a metre in diameter, and invisible to the human eye.
Although at times a significant amount of these dust particles originated from natural sources, man-made sources included transport, power generation, construction and small industry.
The Authority said the transport sector was the major contributor to air pollution mainly due to exhaust emissions, tyre and brake abrasion and the re-suspension of dust that had previously settled on the roads.
Some of the suggestions made by the public were:
More frequent VRT tests, covering all vehicles; incentives for the scrapping of vehicles over 10 years old; a ban on heavy vehicles from village cores; public transport reform to reduce the need for private vehicles; mandating the use of bio-fuels; harsher penalties for those using kerosene or light heating oil for trucks and cars; heavier taxation for polluting vehicles;
Installation of filters to reduce emissions from heavy vehicles; improved harbour ferry services to reduce traffic congestion in the harbour area; car free days;
Higher fuel prices; the promotion of cycling; a staggering of school and work hours to reduce traffic jams; a raising of speed limits since slow traffic produces more emissions; reintroduction of the tram; provision of underground parking and more park and ride facilities; encouraging people to have roof gardens; in underground metro system;
Incentives for electric vehicles; road checks to ensure that engines are properly tuned; limiting heavy vehicles to particular routes at particular times; allowing aluminium apertures in old houses to reduce income polluted air;
Planting of vegetation in streets and industrial estates to absorb emissions; reducing vehicle use by half by having cars used on alternate days; on-the-spot removal of cars emitting heavy fumes; improving the SMS emissions reporting system;
Reducing building development to reduce dust; tax fuel, but remove registration tax; limestone blocks should be sanded in quarries not on building sites; cover dust heaps, link the power grid to Sicily to reduce power station emissions.
The suggestions will be used by Mepa in the drawing up of an Air Quality Plan for the Maltese Islands.
The suggestions made can be seen on http://www.mepa.org.mt/air-policymeasures
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Chris Mifsud
Sep 22nd 2010, 15:56
Registration tax needs to be scrapped.
Problem solved
francis cini
Nov 26th 2009, 07:25
in my opinion, if some thing is not going to be done about the ever increasing ammount of
cars in malta ,nobody will be able to drive a car anymore, so there will be no more pollution in our air.simple as that.
Jesmond Micallef
Nov 25th 2009, 21:17
A few weeks ago I was walking down the passageway underneath Nürnberg's Main Train Station and just by coincidence I met one of Germany's prominent Green Party Politician - Jürgen Trittin. I just had to stop and shake hands with him. It just struck me how such a prominent politician walking un-escorted just as a "normal" member of the public....................................no luxurious chauffer driven car !!!
Take that Maltese Politicians !!!
h galea
Nov 25th 2009, 20:46
MEPA how about removing the computer games you all have on your computers, sure we have less CO2 and more work.
Jms Cremona
Nov 25th 2009, 20:12
@Justin Azzopardi
I will take the bus when I see the parlament members take the bus themselves!!
Tax is not the solution of everything. In my opinion one of the fault for air pollution is of those who open their deisel fuel pumps for the car to run "faster" leaving a black cloud from everywhere they pass or truck engines which havent had a service for ages and not of my 30 year old car which I keep serviced regularly and keep in good condition. The goverment should put authorites on the road to stop vehicles which emmit a high level of pollution. These vehicles should be called for a VRT test, be obliged to replace any parts which shold be replaced to run the engine as it should and have their fuel pumps sealed and if the sealing is found broken at the next VRT test a penalty should be implemented.
Michael Neville Cassar
Nov 25th 2009, 19:53
A car more than 10 years out from the showroom is not necessary un- road- worthy .Apart from this it is total discrimination to generalize and subject VRT tests twice a year. If such a move is implemented then the authority, government, would be not lesser than running this country in dictatorship we have enough expense in running our cars.
david gulia
Nov 25th 2009, 19:29
How many people in malta affort to change the car every 10years?In Malta,traditionally,if u look after yr car it gives you more than15 years.And what about higher prices of fuel,do we affort more?I think that he times of the 50's had come again......alot of people have to emigrate because it is being unaffordable
Joe Morana
Nov 25th 2009, 19:21
Our so callled Authorities actually gave special excessive emissions concessions to old buses, remember?See, bus owners' interests take precedence over citizens' health hazards. And what about the ADT SMS Alert Emissions 'smoke screen' and ADT's public deceit ?? and yet wonder of wonders, no one is held accountable politically or otherwise. Shame. it is obvious to me that decision makes do not feel nor perceive the brunt of pollution excesses like us lesser mortals.
Stefan Engelbert
Nov 25th 2009, 18:45
@JCMicallef: "I believe that there is no effective way to a cleaner environment without adversely affecting the economy"
Well I believe that you are totally wrong. In other countries efforts for a cleaner environment resulted in a new "eco industry" creating hundred thousands of jobs.
Charles Zammit
Nov 25th 2009, 17:20
Is a 10 year old vehicle necessarily unworthy of being used on the road?
Anyone cares to consider LPG as fuel for vehicles? Converting a conventional petrol engine for LPG or methane working is so simple and inexpensive. Additionally an engine so converted produces no or minimal pollution.
Adrian Borg Cardona
Nov 25th 2009, 16:35
Buses are the biggest polluters. Every one can see the clouds of black (cancerous) smoke emitted by these buses. I walk every day from Floriana to Valletta and have to cover my nose and mouth because of the heavy pollution. Why cannot MePA or whoever is responsible (is anyone responsible for anything in this country??) take IMMEDIATE action? Could the reason be that the authorities are scared of the bus drivers?
L.Coleiro
Nov 25th 2009, 16:23
something is not functioning well in this country???
Just tax it and all the problems will go away.
john borg
Nov 25th 2009, 16:12
I wonder whether the MEPA people who would be drafting the Air Quality Plan would be the first ones to follow all the suggestions listed, such as using public transport instead of using their private car, replacing their car with a new say every three or five years, placing their car to more frequent VRT tests etc etc...f'pajjiz tal-mickey mouse kulhadd irid jiddetta x'ghandu jaghmel haddiehor izda mhux x'ghand jaghmel hu!
Joseph Arpa
Nov 25th 2009, 16:08
Good I agree.....you whats left, that we are charged for using the loo!!!!
a.camilleri
Nov 25th 2009, 16:06
well said clayton portelli, couple of years ago son came overland for a few weeks in his car from the uk, as soon as he filled tank from here it started to run badly, a mechanic friend of ours told him straight away its the fuel, and he was dead right because when he went back the car started running perfect again, so why dont we start by getting some decent fuel before we start putting taxes up again, because thats what it all amounts to.
andrew azzopardi
Nov 25th 2009, 16:02
How about actually keeping registration prices the same as the rest of europe, if new cars are cheaper, people will bother getting a new car, rather than importing it from England.
r cutajar
Nov 25th 2009, 15:54
Is it possibile that changing of who is responsabile for all this unecsaptibile excesive heavy smoke literally belching out of exhausts after 10 years of V R T was not on top of the list ?
And why fitting an old used diesel engine to replace a petrol engine in an old car Never crossed the minds of those so keen to charge Eco Contributions ?? after all in most instances the extra pollutions going out are higher to say the very least
Justin Azzopardi
Nov 25th 2009, 15:47
@ Ray Buhagiar
Take the bus!
This would then lead to a greater pressure group for the public transport system to be changed.
I don't think its right to leave polluting cars on the road just because there's no public transport.
Claude Sammut
Nov 25th 2009, 15:44
Agreed with Ray Buhagiar this applies especially for students and young drives. Also what about classic cars and old cars which will become classics in a couple of years.a
JCMicallef
Nov 25th 2009, 15:44
@Ray Buhagiar–I understand you point. But would you still want to drive the car if it was dangerous apart from polluting? Still, difficult to draw a line – up to a few years ago I drove a 20 year old car that I had tuned perfectly to return 35 miles to the gallon. So it’s the condition, not the age, that matters. Still, incentives to scrap old cars are actually incentives for selling, nothing to do with environment. I have voiced my opinion on that in a letter earlier this year.
I believe that there is no effective way to a cleaner environment without adversely affecting the economy.
Perhaps control and enforcement should be more effective, and due importance to the mileage of the car should be given. My car has only covered 50,000kms in 7 years, so it cannot be put on the same scale of cars that covered the same distance in just 2 years.
Clayton Portelli
Nov 25th 2009, 15:43
Before assuming that everyone affords buying a new car, why doesn't the government liberalise the fuel market, so we can have better fuel quality and with less emmissions and pollutions?
Claude Sammut
Nov 25th 2009, 15:42
Agreed with Ray Buhagiar this applies especially for students and young drives. Also what about classic cars and old cars which will become classics in a couple of years.
Isaac Camilleri
Nov 25th 2009, 15:38
when will people learn that it is not the car which polluts, but the engine! u can have an old car with an engine swap to a new modern engine, and it would not pollute!
Ray Buhagiar
Nov 25th 2009, 15:20
What if I don't have enough money to buy a brand new car? People are so insensitive!