Friday, August 24, 2007 Editorial: Emission testing not working?
SIXTY percent of vehicles in Davao City randomly tested for smoke emission by the Clean Cities Davao Coalition Inc. (CCDCI) have failed to meet safety standards.
CCDCI officials said most of the vehicles that were subjected to the random emission test were public utility vehicles and second-hand private vehicles. The random test was done together with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, the Land Transportation Office-Southern Mindanao, and the Environment Management Board.
The negative statistics is one strong proof that the emission testing system mandated by law and whose implementation is entrusted to the private sector is not working.
The random testing result is really dismaying given that 70 percent of the air pollution comes from automotive vehicles.
CCDCI president Ricarte Mamparo said most vehicles' failure to pass the smoke emission tests is not surprising since most owners tune up their public utility vehicles only for compliance in the renewal of registration.
He said lack of maintenance is "a factor that adds up to the high (smoke) emission of the public utility vehicles."
Still, what Mamparo said proves all the more that the emission testing system in place for years now is not working. While it has kept the cash registers of some favored businessmen ringing, the system is a dismal failure in achieving clean air in our environment.
