[sustran] Bangkok motorcycles

[Craig Townsend]

>From Bangkok Post Internet edition, 4 April 2000

Motorcycles to be checked for emissions
City to replace the old with the new 

About 2,000 of the city's motorcycles will be surveyed and studied to find
ways of reducing exhaust emissions as part of a joint project. 

Collection of data will begin on May 15 and the report is expected in June,
said Vallop Tiasiri, vice president of the association. 

There are about 12 million motorcycles in Thailand, accounting for 41% of
the nation's road vehicles. The capital has 1.6 million registered
motorcycles. 

The project, called "Bangkok Air Quality Management Control of Motorcycle
Pollution," would be financed by the World Bank and supported by the Thai
Automotive Industry Association, the city and other agencies. A consultant
company has been hired to conduct a feasibility study on reducing exhaust
emissions from the city's vehicles. 

Jitendra Shah, a senior World Bank environmental engineer, said the key
pollutant to improve the city's public health was PM10, a technical term
for fine dust smaller than 10 microns. Two-stroke motorcycle engines are a
primary contributor of PM10 emissions. Offending motorcycles would have to
be upgraded or replaced to reduce the city's pollution, Mr Shah said. As
well as reducing emissions, this would also improve fuel-efficiency and
reduce operating costs. 

He said motorcycles would be tested and, depending on their level of
emissions, either repaired or traded in for a replacement voucher towards
the pur chase of a new motorcycle. Spare parts from old motorcycles would
be recycled. 

Five motorcycle factories would provide technical assistance for the
duration of the project, said Mr Vallop. 

"Motorcycles are owned and driven by poor people and it's the poor who have
to breathe the pollution and suffer from it, so we must be concerned about
it and provide them with incentives," said Mr Shah. 

Atanu Ganguli, executive officer of the Society of Indian Automobile
Manufacturers, said India's supreme court conducted a similar project with
66,000 motorcycles in New Delhi. The vehicles were tested in 17 days,
between Nov 11 and Dec 2, 1999, he said. From March, the court also plans
to ban all buses over eight years old and replace all cars and taxis over
10 years old. 

Mr Ganguli said there are 14 million motorcycles in India and that New
Delhi's pollution is worse than Bangkok's. 

________________________________________________
Craig Townsend
Institute for Sustainability & Technology Policy
Murdoch University
South Street, Murdoch
Perth, Western Australia 6150

tel: (61 8) 9360 6293
fax: (61 8) 9360 6421
email: townsend at central.murdoch.edu.au