As the population grows, so is the energy demand. This includes the energy to mobilize people in their daily lives, which is still dominated by motorized vehicles for some cities in the world. Without a firm policy and comprehensive supervision, transportation by motorized vehicles will have an impact on air pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that nine out of ten people live in an environment with polluted air, which kills 7 million people every year. That is why many countries or cities implement emission control regulations, including motor vehicle emission testing.

In early 2021, Jakarta became one of the cities that carried out emission tests for motorized vehicles. Under Governor Regulation No. 66 of 2020, exhaust gas inspection is mandatory for all private vehicles over three years of age. You may be wondering what benefits this policy will bring. For that, let's take a look at the success stories of implementing emission tests conducted in other countries or cities.

[Emissions Testing Program 101: The Whats and Hows]

California, United States

In California, metropolitan cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco are very serious about addressing the problem of air pollution. This issue first emerged in the 1950s, when Los Angeles residents took to the street for protest over the haze problem that engulfed their city. Finally, in 1967, the local government established the California Air Resource Board (CARB) to keep the air clean and protect citizens from exposure to toxic gases.

Photo: https://timeline.com/la-smog-pollution-4ca4bc0cc95d

Their commitment to tackling pollution continued in the following years. In 2005, as part of the low emissions vehicle program, California requested the federal government to implement their own emission test standards that were more stringent than national standards. The series of their policies, in the end, came to fruition. CARB states, the level of hazardous pollutants in California has decreased by about 60 percent since 1990. It was achieved, although the population of citizens and motorized vehicles increased during that period.

Washington, D.C., United States

California's success in tackling air pollution problems made 12 other states, and the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C., follows in their footstep in enacting much stringent emission standards. According to local regulations, DC or the District of Columbia requires every motorized vehicle to obtain a certificate of inspection, one of which involves an emission test process.

There are three inspection methods according to the age of the vehicle. The first is the idle test by measuring the levels of Carbon monoxide (CO), Hydrocarbons (HC), and Carbon dioxide (CO2) in two different rpm (rotations per minute). Next is the IM 240, where the car is placed in a dynamometer (commonly called the dyno) for an inspection that lasts 240 seconds. And the last one is a test using On-Board Diagnostics to monitor the vehicle via the DLC or Data Link Connector.

Through this policy, D.C. succeeded in reducing pollutants, especially PM (Particulate Matter) 2,5. PM 2.5 is particulate or fine particles in the air with a size of 2.5 microns or less. When inhaled by humans, these particles, which are 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair, can cause eye and respiratory problems.

The data above shows the results of annual measurements taken in three districts in D.C .: River Terrace, Hains Point, and McMillan. We can see that in 2002, the PM 2.5 levels in the three districts were still above the national threshold. However, thanks to continuous emission control efforts, pollutant levels can be reduced significantly.

New Zealand

In 2007, the New Zealand Ministry of Transport issued the “Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Exhaust Emissions,” regulating exhaust emissions from vehicles/land transportation. This document is part of the New Zealand Government's legislative policy to improve air quality by reducing harmful emissions from internal combustion in motor vehicles. It also contains a threshold or standard for carrying out an emission test.

*ppm = parts per million 

After setting the emission standards above, New Zealand announces air quality developments in the periodical document “Our Air,” with the last edition published in 2018. Based on information from the New Zealand Ministry of Environment, exhaust emissions from vehicles are the most important non-biomass combustion source of PM, most of which is PM2.5. But, through vehicle emission measurements conducted between the cities of Auckland and Takapuna, it was found that the level of PM 2.5 pollutants decreased during the 2008-2016 period. This proves the emission standards that have been set are working as they hoped.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of the regions with the highest population density in the world (7,140 per km2). With a large number of private vehicles, traffic congestion problems have become part of Hongkongers' daily lives. Therefore, the local government pays great attention to controlling exhaust emissions to maintain air quality. One of the implemented programs is the installation of sensors on the side of the road to detect vehicles with an excessive amount of emissions.

Like the report published by New Zealand in the previous example, the Hong Kong Government's study also identified land transportation as the biggest contributor to emissions. However, due to tight control and supervision, Hong Kong succeeded in reducing emissions during 2010-2018. From the graph below, we can see that the number of pollutants is decreasing, even though vehicle mileage increases every year.

Europe

Since 1992, the European Union has imposed strict emission standards commonly known as the "Euro" standard. Starting from 1 September 2015, all new cars must meet the latest version of this standard, Euro 6. A car with a Euro 6 standard produces significantly fewer emissions than a car with a Euro 1 standard.

Euro 6 standard sets 0.06 g / km as the threshold for Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions from petrol-powered vehicles. As for the Euro 1 standard, the NOx threshold is at 0.97 g / km.

Effective since September 2017, a new emission testing method called the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) has also been introduced to all European Union member states. This inspection is intended for the latest car models. With the latest automotive technologies and modern traffic trends, the WLTP method offers more accurate emission test results than its predecessor, the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), which was introduced some 20 years ago.

As seen in the graph below, these emission control efforts have led to a consistent decline in the number of pollutants from the transportation sector in Europe since the 1990s.

After reading success stories from other countries and cities, it is undeniable that controlling emissions is an important step in protecting our environment and making the air around us cleaner. Therefore, let's support the emission testing program in our city. If your vehicle, whether it's a motorbike or a car, is more than three years old, then it's time for you to go to the nearest emission test site to be part of the Smart Environment movement for a healthier Jakarta!

[Why Vehicle Emissions Test Important?]