Owners of vehicles that emit smoke above the authorised limit will now be fined. Police and officers of the National Transport Authority will be equipped with new tools for verification. A national information campaign will also be launched on this issue.
“We have already acquired 11 opacimetres from the UK. “One will be sent to Rodrigues,” said Jean Max Baya, advisor on information matters at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. These will examine exhaust fumes of vehicles. He added that police officers went to the UK for training on using this. “By December they will be posted across the island to track polluting vehicles,” he said.
“There is a need to address vehicular emissions through implementation of cleaner fuels and vehicle programmes. We hope that through these awareness campaigns and tracking of cars, people will be more conscious about pollution,” said minister Deva Virahsawmy.
