Makati netted 7,520 smoke belchers in 2006

The Makati Pollution and Control Office (MPCO) apprehended a total of 7,520 smoke-belching vehicles in the city’s major thoroughfares from January to December last year.

MPCO chief Reggie Suarez said delivery vans and other utility vehicles topped the list of smoke belchers with 3,812 apprehensions, followed by trucks with 2,377; cars, 527; jeepneys, 462; buses, 258; and taxis, 84.

"Clean air is a major concern of the city government of Makati. That’s why we have intensified our anti-smoke belching campaign to make sure that all the streets of Makati are free of smoke belchers," Suarez said and stressed that the campaign is based on a directive issued by Mayor Jejomar Binay.

Suarez said all apprehended vehicles were subjected to a smoke meter test to determine if their emission levels were in line with standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

First-time offenders were fined P1,000 and their car plates and/or driver’s license were confiscated, while second-time and third-time offenders were fined P2,000 and P3,000, respectively.

The vehicle registration of third-time offenders was also suspended. Suarez said the city government collected a total of P1,605,750 in fines last year.

He also noted that a total of 2,663 vehicle owners have voluntarily submitted their vehicles for smoke emission tests.

"We appreciate the gesture of these vehicle owners who voluntarily submitted their vehicles to undergo a smoke emission test. We hope that they will continue to abide by the law for us to achieve clean air and a healthy environment," Suarez said.

Makati City leads other localities in the strict implementation of the 1999 Clean Air Act.

The city also boasts of a stricter ordinance on clean air, City Ordinance No. 2004-032 or the Emission Control Code, that gives more teeth to the implementation of the law.

MPCO enforcers are deployed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily along main avenues and streets like JP Rizal St., Kalayaan Avenue, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Ayala Avenue and portions of EDSA from Gil Puyat Avenue to Magallanes. — Rhodina Villanueva