AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

A breath of fresh air needed

18th May 1995, Page 26
18th May 1995
Page 26
Page 26, 18th May 1995 — A breath of fresh air needed
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

As pollution continues its inexorable rise up the political agenda, roadside emissions checks on lorries are set to more than double.

by Guy Sheppard • Polluting lorries are more than twice as likely to get caught this year, thanks to a boost in Vehicle Inspectorate funding for emissions checks.

The emissions check budget is now up to £400,000, allowing an extra 85,000 roadside checks in 1995-96 on top of the 50,000 funded last year.

The cash underlines how politically important it has become for the Government to be seen to be taking action, particularly in the wake of a period of heavy smog this month which heightened calls for cuts in pollution in towns and cities.

Health organisations are increasingly worried. The National Asthma Campaign says exhaust fumes are one of the main pollutants linked to asthma which is now costing the National Health Service £473m a year.

The Department of Environment seems to agree on the need for further action. Its latest figures show a general improvement in pollution control marred by an undermining performance from road transport.

Volatile organic compounds, which are formed by both petrol and diesel engines and include cancer-forming benzene, were up 2.6% on 1980. Additionally, emissions on black smoke had nearly doubled, Studies in the US suggest that black smoke, which comes from diesel engines and includes small pieces of dirt called particulates, causes heart and lung disease as well as asthma.

Even more directly worrying to the haulage industry is that lorry drivers are particularly exposed to the health risks from these emissions.

Tony Bosworth of Friends of the Earth says: "We have done tests which have shown that levels of carbon monoxide inside a vehicle are up to double those outside in a busy street."

But the news isn't all bad. Several major pollutants, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide have reached their lowest levels since the mid-1980s. This seems to be largely thanks to catalytic converters.

And don't let anyone tell you lorries are the worst offenders. Transport Secretary Brian Mawhinney refers flamboyantly to "belching monsters" for pushing up pollution levels, but big lorries are not the villains of the story.

A blitz of roadside checks at the end of last year found that the worst culprits were light goods vehicles and taxis, followed by cars. Only 3.5% of LGVs and 3% of PCVs received prohibition notices, compared with 38% of taxis.

However, figures like these do not appear to increase public confidence in the cleanliness of trucks. Last year public complaints about lorry exhaust emissions more than doubled to 8,100.

But the VI, which follows up all the calls, says the increase probably has far more to do with greater publicity about how to report offenders, Vehicles which are reported often turn out to be running cleanly when the VI checks them out, she says.

Bob Stacey, the Road Haulage Association's manager of technical services, believes the best way to reduce emissions is by encouraging good maintenance. The fact that a well-maintained lorry also gives more miles per gallon and cuts other costs could be a powerful persuader, he says.

Virtuous behaviour Meanwhile, the Department of Transport is not just relying on roadside checks to encourage virtuous behaviour. It is also reviewing the case for fitting particulate traps to some types of diesel engines and allowing Traffic Commissioners to give more consideration to emissions standards when reviewing an operator's performance.

Within the next few weeks a pilot project will be launched to cut congestion and pollution on the M25 around London by reducing the speed limit during peak traffic flows.

The manufac turers aren't being idle either. Graham Mont gomerie, the Freight Transport Association's chief engineer, points out that 40% of manufacturers' budgets on exhaust is spent on reducing black smoke.

There is no room for complacency, but given a couple of years drivers (and the rest of us) might be able to breathe a little easier.


comments powered by Disqus