Tricycle owners get help

To help tricycle owners comply with the require-ments of Republic Act (RA) 8749, otherwise known as the Clean Air Act, the De-partment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will hold a forum tomorrow at the Visitor’s Center of the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center along North Ave. in Quezon City.

There are approximately 900,000 motorcycles nation-wide, with Metro Manila accounting for some 180,000 or 20 percent of the total volume. Majority of these are powered by two-stroke en-gines that emits bigger amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons compared to four-stroke ones.

EMB reported that emis-sion tests conducted on tricycles showed that the average hydrocarbon emissions was 6,000 ppm (parts per million) or 10 times over the acceptable standard for cars.

Last Jan. 6, an agreement was forged between the government and the tricycle sector. It stipulates the following:

• One month suspension of MMDA Resolution 02-36 urging local government units to stop granting new franchises to two-stroke tricycles;

• Reduction, from P300 to P90, of emission testing fee for tricycles under the motor vehicle inspection system of the Land Transportation Office.

• Financing scheme to be worked out by the DENR Secretary with the Development Bank of the Philippines for operators and drivers who wish to upgrade their motorcycles from two-stroke to four-stroke engines;

• Continue with research on alternative fuels being undertaken by the Department of Energy and the Department of Science and Technology; and

• For DENR to convene a technical working group to fasttrack the development of emission standards for tricycles which is not included in the Clean Air Act’s implementing rules and regulations.

This tricycle forum is organized by the Partnership for Clean Air, a multi-sectoral coalition representing the government, private sector, civil society, media, academe, and supporting development institutions tasked to increase public awareness in a bid to decrease the amount of air pollution in Metro Manila.

It is supported by the DENR-led Metro Manila Air Quality Improvement Sector Development Program’s (MMAQISDP) Public Awareness Component. The Human Resource Management Service-DENR if facilitating the conduct of this forum. – Benny Enriquez