By
Patience Gbeze, GNA
Amasaman (GA South), June 21, GNA – Lack of
motor vehicle standards and regulations, among other challenges in developing
countries, have contributed to the deterioration of air quality in cities and
increased Green House Gas effects.
There are more than 1.45 billion motorized
vehicles in the world now, and it is projected that this number will rise above
2.5 billion by 2025.
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister
of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, in a speech read on his
behalf at a two-day dissemination workshop on draft Motor Emission Standards
and Regulation in Ghana, said about 47.5 million barrels of oil (fossil fuel)
is consumed by the transport sector per day as against current global oil consumption of 92.3
million barrels.
He said Ghana’s vehicle fleet population has
increased five-fold in the past 15 to 20 years and currently stood at over two
million.
The workshop was organised by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with United Nations
Environment to solicit experts’ including stakeholders’ input to finalise the
draft motor emission standard and regulation to facilitate its implementation.
The Agency, since its inception, has developed
sector-specific environmental quality guidelines for reducing emissions and
discharge of toxic wastes and substances into the environment, among others, to
achieve its mandates stipulated in the EPA Act 1994 (Act 490).
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said the implementation
of the standard regulation could once demonstrate the country’s resolve to
protect the environment and public health and urged the experts to develop a
roadmap for its implementation, and also urged the public to support it.
He said since urban air pollution is a major
concern in many developing countries, including Ghana, higher concentrations of
key air pollutants such as particulate matter and black carbon emitted from
combustion of fossil fuel could pose environmental and public health risks.
“Visible black fumes and gases from vehicles
may contain black carbon which not only affect global warming but also causes
cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, dizziness, eye and skin irritations and
aggravation of asthmatic conditions of the people, especially vulnerable groups
like children and the aged,” he added.
He said reducing air pollution from various
sources including the transport sector through implementation of standards and
regulations could save millions of lives.
He, therefore, called on the private sector to
partner government to establish modern vehicle maintenance centers in the
country to help meet the growing aspirations of many vehicles owners to ensure
emission reduction compliance.
Mr John Alexis Pwamang, the Acting Executive
Director of EPA, said in as much as the sector-specific guidelines have been
useful, the Agency in collaboration with its key stakeholders have been
pursuing the development of national Motor Emission Standards and Regulation,
among others.
“To achieve these noble objectives, the Agency
embarked on the collection of relevant vehicle activity data. Data were
collected under the DANIDA Transport Sector Support Project (2006) as part of
the vehicle emissions inventory programme.
“The Agency further developed for
implementation a Roadmap to Emissions and Fuel Economy Standards (2014 – 2020)
with the objectives of promoting good fuel quality ie Low sulphur levels in
fuels to Afri-4 specifications by 2020 (50ppm sulphur levels) which is also in
line with the West and Central African Agreement to reduce air development of
vehicle emission standards and regulations,” he added.
Mr Pwamang said pragmatic steps have been
taken by the government to implement the roadmap.
He announced that under the auspices of MESTI,
the Agency in collaboration with the UN Environment and Ministries responsible
for Transport, Health and Finance developed a roadmap to implement soot-free
bus standards in Accra.
That, he said, would promote the use of cleaner
low emission buses to improve public health and reduce air pollution.
Mr David Rubia, Programme Officer, Air Quality
and mobility Unit, UN Environment, said his office is looking forward for lots
of continued collaborations with the EPA’s activities.
He said there is no one country that has
achieved emission free pollution in the road sector in Africa and urged Ghana
to be focused on its efforts to achieve the necessary results.
There were solidarity messages from the
Drivers and vehicle Licensing Authority, National Road safety Commission,
Toyota Ghana Limited, Daewoo Ghana Limited and the Ghana Road transport
Coordination Council.
GNA