VEHICLE EMISSION ENFORCEMENT

Transcription

1 VEHICLE EMISSION ENFORCEMENT BY GEORGE ACKOM (DIRECTOR, VEHICLE INSPECTION AND REGISTRATION) DRIVER AND VEHICLE LICENSING AUTHORITY (DVLA) DATE: 14 MARCH 2017

2 Outline 1. Background 2. Current Regulation in Ghana 3. Vehicle testing 4. Pollutants 5. Policy Making Level 6. Basic institutional design questions 7. Compliance and Enforcement 9. Real world challenges 10. The way forward 11. Recommendations 2

3 Background Vehicle emissions are one of the largest and fastest growing sources of air pollution in cities, and present health and environmental challenges. 3

4 Vehicle Emissions have been shown to have variety of negative effects on public health and the natural environment. 4

5 VEHICLE TOTAL CUMMULATIVE NUMBER OF VEHICLES: YEAR-BY-YEAR ( ) YEAR VEHICLES IN GHANA , , , , , , , , , , , ,033, ,128, ,230, ,372, ,532, ,708, ,840, ,952,564 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000, , , , ,026643, , ,874511, , , , ,067 1,033,140 1,128,138 1,230,468 1,372,287 1,532,080 1,708,958 1,840,972 1,952,564 YEAR 5

6 The current situation in Ghana 1) Transport Regulation on Vehicle Emissions No person shall drive a motor vehicle which emits exhaust fumes in such quantities as to be a hazard or annoyance to road users or pedestrians. (Regulation # 33, L.I. 952, Road Traffic Regulations, 1974) 6

7 Comments on the L.I. The existing regulation is subjective base on excessive visible smoke. It leaves much to the discretion of who is doing the inspection. It is not quantitative; not measureable. The inspection program is intended to separate vehicle with excessive emission from relatively clean vehicles. 7

8 The current situation in Ghana (cont d) 2. The law allows the importation of used vehicles that cannot pass emission test in the country of origin. The country has become a dumping ground of high emitting vehicles; 8

9 Vehicle testing 9

10 Vehicle inspection stations in Ghana (October 2016) DVLA STATIONS 26 AUTHORIZED PRIVATE TEST STATIONS 10 10

11 11

12 Integration of emission test with safety inspections 12

13 Principal pollutants of concern include: Hydrocarbons (HC) Carbon monoxide (CO) NOx Particulate matter Sulfur oxide (SOx) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) 14

14 Policy-making level Policy-makers must grapple with an array of questions: What institutional design can best accomplish the goals of testing? What emission standards should apply, and what testing procedures should be used? How can government ensure a high level of compliance with testing standards? 15

15 Policy-making level (contd) How can government ensure that the following key resources are in sufficient supply? Financial resources for typically a multi-million dollar undertaking Institutional capacity especially in the vehicle service sector Political support critical for the testing program to survive 16

16 Basic institutional design questions: Who does the testing and where? What tasks are best done by the public sector and what tasks are best done by the private sector? How oversight is best accomplished, holding public and private actors responsible for carrying out their tasks? What coordination and management issues are likely to arise among different levels of government and between ministries, and how can they best be addressed? Should one launch comprehensive emission testing program for all vehicles? 17

17 Compliance and Enforcement Compliance and enforcement policies work hand-in-hand Compliance promotion tools encourage drivers to conform to emission requirements, typically with incentives or information. Enforcement tools aim to find and punish drivers who are out of compliance with emission requirements. 18

18 Enforcement requires foot soldiers deployed on the streets: police officers (or other authorities) with the responsibility of checking vehicles for a valid test certificate and/or examining the actual emissions from vehicles. Both tasks present challenges. 19

19 Methods to enforce the vehicle emissions inspection program 20

20 Challenges on the field (real-world examples) 1. Vehicles not displaying an inspection sticker 2. Vehicles belching smoke despite displaying an inspection sticker 3. Absence of police or other authorities paying attention to inspection stickers or smoke belching vehicles 4. Test facilities that pass virtually all vehicles regardless of their emissions 5. Inspection test lanes that are clearly in disrepair 21

21 Challenges in the field (real-world examples), contd 6. Inspection test equipment that is not functioning or not calibrated properly 7. Inspection facility staff who are incapable of performing their duties (e.g. test lane drivers) 8. Inspection staff who view their job as helping drivers pass the inspection test by manipulating the vehicle or the test 9. Inspection staff who take bribes and issue stickers 10.Absence of any oversight of, or quality assurance procedures for, test facilities 22

22 The Fundamental Challenges in vehicle testing Typically, vehicle testing program requires massive behavioral change among thousands (or millions) of drivers; among those who test and repair vehicles; and, among those who manage, oversee, and enforce such programs. Drivers must restrain their instincts to cheat on tests and/or offer bribes to pass inspection. 23

23 THE WAY FORWARD Establish appropriate emission standards and ensure strict compliance and enforcement Engage in a major program to establish a centralized inspection database, to which all testing facilities will eventually be networked, allowing for much more comprehensive management and quality assurance. 24

24 THE WAY FORWARD The vehicle service industry must have sufficient equipment to properly repair vehicles. adequate training to ensure mechanics and technicians are sufficiently skilled, sufficient lead time to properly equip the test centres. 25

25 THE WAY FORWARD To control vehicle emissions, government will affect the actions of vehicle and fuel suppliers Government will also impact the actions of millions of drivers in terms of how well they maintain their vehicles and achieve target exhaust emission levels through enforced testing. 26

26 Recommendations Set and enforce emission standards for imported used vehicles Set and enforce appropriate emissions standards for in-use vehicles Use the phase-in approach Operate test-only centers 27

27 Thank You 28