90 percent of vehicles tested in Davao City ...

... fail emission tests

By Yas D. Ocampo, Manila Bulletin

DISMAL RESULTS – Personnel from the Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office conduct an emission test on a government vehicle in Davao City. About 90 percent of those tested failed the tests. (Keith Bacongco)

Davao City – About 90 percent of vehicles tested for emission by the Environmental Management Bureau ((EMB) did not pass standards in this city, as set by the Clean Air Act, according to officials.

Speaking at the bimonthly Connect Health and Wellness Forum at SM Lanang Premier, EMB engineer Melvin Dapitanon said that the results of their November 7 joint roadside emission assessment showed that most of the vehicles tested did not pass the emission tests.

These included around 30 government vehicles.

“Sa roadside inspection of the PUJs, most of the diesel engine failed with the emission standard of the Clean Air Act,” Dapitanon said.

The joint emission testing activity tested around 80 vehicles from PUJs, government vehicles, and passenger buses.

Only one of the 20 buses from the Bachelor Express did not pass the test, as most of their fleet were already Euro 4 compliant, he noted.

The bus tests were conducted last November 9 at the Bachelor motorpool in Ma-a.

Only 10 percent of the tested vehicles were PUJs, with the rest being private and government vehicles.

During the testing, the vehicles were merely tagged and required to come back for testing the following week.

Penalties for failing to mee emission standards begin at P1,000 for violators, according to Dapitanon.

The local ordinance, meanwhile, requires vehicles that do not pass emission standards to be brought to the motorpool of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) within 72 hours.

As early as 2015, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had already released standards that regulated the emission of mobile sources of air pollution.

The guidelines were made available via DENR administrative order 2015-04.

By 2018, new vehicles will be required to be subjected to Euro 4 standards, which mean lower emissions, less aromatics, and better combustion performance for vehicles.