Noisy, smoke emitting vehicles: Get ready for inspections, fines

EPD, LTC and Transport Dept start month-long campaign.

LAHORE:

Three teams comprising officials of the Environment Protection Department, the Lahore Transport Company and Transport Department will start fining vehicle owners from today (Tuesday) if the vehicles fail a fitness check.

The joint teams are part of a campaign against vehicles that emit smoke or create a lot of noise.

They have been inspecting vehicles since Saturday when about 90 vehicles were examined between 9am and 3pm. Unfit cars were issued advisory notices.

The EPD inspector will check the amount of smoke emitted and noise-level of the horn while two LTC officials and a motor vehicle examiner (MVE) will check the overall fitness of the car. The MVEs are also authorised to issue tickets if vehicle owners fail to produce documents.

The teams will periodically change locations. On Saturday, two teams were deployed at the Bohrwala Chowk near Bhati Gate and one at Azadi Chowk. On Monday, a team each was deputed near the Gaddafi Stadium, at the Azadi Chowk and Mozang Chungi.

The campaign is expected to continue for at least a month. EPA Director General Maqsood Ahmad Lak said that the campaign was run intermittently throughout the year.

EPD Inspector Yasir Gul said that mostly Qins Qi rickshaws, two-stroke rickshaws and buses had been issued advisory notices for using pressure horns or emitting smoke.

Vehicle owners have been given a week’s time to get the problems fixed. The vehicle then needs to be rechecked by EPD officials. In case of non-compliance, a case will be forwarded to the environment magistrate, who can impose a fine between Rs2,000 to Rs10,000.

According to a study Vehicle Pollution Control done by the EPD in 2011, motorcycle rickshaws have a smoke-emitting capacity of 66.3 per cent – compared to 5-8 per cent for a four-stroke motorbike or rickshaw – and contribute 60 per cent of the pollution in Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2012.