Compulsory roadside emissions test
Discussion
News item today says Salford Council are to introduce compulsory roadside vehicle emission tests and if a vehicle fails, the driver gets a £60 fine.
Drivers of older cars have emissions tested once a years at MOT time. Other than than we have no way of knowing if our cars are still within the arbitrary limits.
Another form of harassment? Coming to a county near you quite soon, no doubt.
Drivers of older cars have emissions tested once a years at MOT time. Other than than we have no way of knowing if our cars are still within the arbitrary limits.
Another form of harassment? Coming to a county near you quite soon, no doubt.
Sheffield have been doing this for a while. BUT how do you know when your car is failing, there is no light on the dash board. I admit there are some cars and trucks out there who leave you in a cloud of black smoke everytime they pull away but surely the solution like other defects is to give the driver 14 days to correct the problem, or wouldn't that make them any money?
Liszt said:
I agree with this in principal.
As long as the tests are appropriate then fine. it is a drivers responsiblilty to make sure their motor is road worthy.
Think how many old buses are going to pass these tests? Not many I'd hazard.
Can't see them testing their beloved but derelict public transport system!
this is a great idea, it helps get environmental types of the majority of motorists backs and helps localised polution. I see two many cars belching out all sorts of rubbish from their exhausts. If a car is properly maintained and looked after (as i assume most cars owned by people on this forum will be) then there shoudln`t be a problem.
I seem to remember reading about this sort of check in the local press, a few years ago.
In principle, it's a reasonable idea, but the 60 quid fine seems a bit harsh. It would be better to make sure the car has a valid MOT, and to make the owner get the car through one, or have it repaired/adjusted if it fails.
Apparently, it causes all sorts of problems if they set their criteria too stringently. If your engine is cold, you could fail, as you could if it's sat idling in a queue of traffic waiting for the test.
I've had cars that have needed a bit of adjustment to get through the MOT before, even though I'm fairly meticulous in maintaining them. I'd be really annoyed if I got a fine, say one month before an MOT, even if I knew the car was running well and had no major problems, particularly if they insist on testing it cold.
In principle, it's a reasonable idea, but the 60 quid fine seems a bit harsh. It would be better to make sure the car has a valid MOT, and to make the owner get the car through one, or have it repaired/adjusted if it fails.
Apparently, it causes all sorts of problems if they set their criteria too stringently. If your engine is cold, you could fail, as you could if it's sat idling in a queue of traffic waiting for the test.
I've had cars that have needed a bit of adjustment to get through the MOT before, even though I'm fairly meticulous in maintaining them. I'd be really annoyed if I got a fine, say one month before an MOT, even if I knew the car was running well and had no major problems, particularly if they insist on testing it cold.
Great in principle, but where might the axe fall in practice?
1) Aging cars with obviously smoky exhausts? Tick
2) Buses? Do they even have limits to meet? If so you'd never guess
3) Old black cabs? Ditto
4) Recent cat-equipped cars "just drifted over the limit"? Absolutely, and so easy when the limit's clearly defined.
I always think Oxford Street, banned for all except buses and cabs, has one of the most noxious atmospheres in Britain. Let's start with the real polluters, not the ones where the ECU's just slightly out of adjustment.
1) Aging cars with obviously smoky exhausts? Tick
2) Buses? Do they even have limits to meet? If so you'd never guess
3) Old black cabs? Ditto
4) Recent cat-equipped cars "just drifted over the limit"? Absolutely, and so easy when the limit's clearly defined.
I always think Oxford Street, banned for all except buses and cabs, has one of the most noxious atmospheres in Britain. Let's start with the real polluters, not the ones where the ECU's just slightly out of adjustment.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff