Opinion Poll

All About Smoke-belching Vehicles

Business leaders assess the vehicle emission standards in the country and the way they are being enforced

Some six months back, HMG fixed Nepal Vehicles Emission Standards - 2056 at Euro-1 equivalent. They were relaxed later inviting criticisms from various quarters of the society. Assessing the way the standards are being enforced, the majority of the leaders of Nepali business sector have opined that though the standards fixed are appropriate, their implementation is only ‘superficial’.

Participating in an opinion poll conducted by Business Age, a majority (57%) opined that the timing of the imposition of the standards was quite appropriate. The chief executive of a joint venture bank said, "When developed countries are going for Euro III & IV, let’s try for at least Euro-I."

At a time when the people in this cup-shaped valley capital are feeling some respite from the reduced level of smoke thanks to the eviction of diesel-operated three-wheelers, the enthusiasm for maintaining an environmental standard is understandable. But some business leaders (29%) also viewed that the timing for fixing the standards was a bit ‘early’. One such respondent was of the opinion that the necessary infrastructure, for example, availability of unleaded petrol at all filling stations, was not ready yet. Such fuel is the first pre-requisite to meet Euro-1 standard. However, 14% of them said it was already late.

Almost 50% of the respondents were of the view that the existing vehicular emission standards are ‘just right’, and hence need to be enforced earnestly. But a good 36% of them also viewed that the standards were too loose. Moreover, a very substantial majority have viewed that, whatever the standards, the authorities have not been enforcing them properly, thus defeating the very purpose of the standards. In this regard, one respondent has noted that this also serves as another example to help the skeptics, who view that rules in Nepal are only ‘show-case’ rules - to be demonstrated, but not to be followed.

The assertion is more accentuated when most of the respondents say that it is very easy to violate the standards, and still avoid penalty. "Though the manufacturers or their dealers may not find it easy to dupe the authorities", one respondent says, "the owners using the vehicle will have no problem in this, because of the reputation that the bureaucracy in the country has earned for itself". Another respondent says, "I’ve seen vehicles plying in the valley emitting smoke as if they are using coal as fuel".

However, the entire blame for loose implementation of the regulations does not go to the bureaucracy alone. The respondents have also opined that the authorities are hamstrung by a ‘poor’ capability in terms of equipment necessary to check the emission levels of the vehicles.

1. How appropriate do you see the present time for imposing Euro-1 standard of vehicle emission?

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