CAIRO: The Israeli government approved this summer an amendment to the Traffic Regulations in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and the public's exposure to pollution from automobiles, the ministry of the environmental protection said in a press statement in June. The new amendment adds conditions to a 1961 bill that previously set the conditions for the registration of vehicles concerning emissions from petrol. According to the Knesset and the ministry, the new laws are expected to come into effect in October this year. The ministry said in a written statement that they come “at a vital time for Israel in terms of reducing our pollutions levels in line with global efforts to curtail carbon emissions.” The ministry added that they had been pushing the government to make the amendment since 2007, but the Knesset had been dragging its feet. “It doesn't matter now because it is through and we look forward to seeing how it reduces pollution levels and our country's carbon emissions,” said Tomas Sharon, an Israeli consultant who had been working with the Knesset committee to push the bill. He believes it is the right step for the country in order to come to terms with international efforts to reduce pollution and carbon levels. According to the ministry statement, the new regulations will require two pollution emission tests for vehicles during their annual registration process. A carbon monoxide (CO) and a hydrocarbon (HC) test will now be required. “In the case of CO, the test will be conducted according to the maximum thresholds set by the vehicle manufacturer for every vehicle model (for 1995 vehicles and after), as is the case in European legislation,” the ministry said. It added that in the past, vehicles were subjected to an overall standard that applied to all models, but with the addition of hydrocarbon testing for cars manufactured post-1994, it will ensure carbon emitters are off the road. Yet, for car owners who don't live up to the standards, it will mean their vehicles will be banned from the road if the emissions are higher than 0.1 percent unburned fuel. A Renault spokesman told Bikya Masr that while the new law is vital to the future of reducing emissions in Israel, he is unsure of how the population and car manufacturers will react. “We have seen this kind of thing before elsewhere in the world, but with the current economic situation globally, people will likely be frustrated if their car is banned from the road,” said Armand Henry. However, he did say that his company is already looking into initiating a refund project that could help car owners in the country. “Renault is looking at means of helping owners get through this process if their vehicles do not measure up, but we will wait and see what happens,” he added. Despite what could be controversy come October, the ministry of environmental protection believes it is a step that must be taken in order to make Israel a better environment for people to live. “Vehicles are the major source of air pollution in Israel's cities and their emissions have been linked to increased morbidity and mortality as well as significant costs to the economy,” said the ministry statement. “Exposure to carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons is especially hazardous since some of these gases are toxic and carcinogenic and are emitted at pedestrian level in densely populated areas. One way to reduce pollution is to maintain the proper working order of vehicles and their installed systems.” According to ministry statistics, the new regulations will apply to two million vehicles in the country, some 83 percent of all vehicles on the road. The ministry expects some 16,000 vehicles will not meet the new required hydrocarbon testing during the registration renewal process later this year. Sharon says it is a price the government is willing to take, adding that the government will not simply allow car owners to lose their vehicle without compensation. He said that the government is also looking into an Obama-styled “cash for clunkers” initiative to ease the citizens economic problems. “The government will stand by its citizens through this process that is necessary to create better air quality for all people and meet the demands that climate change have caused on our societies,” he said. “The contribution of these vehicles is estimated at 37 percent of the total hydrocarbons emitted by vehicles, not to mention the waste of gas which is associated with these cars,” the ministry said. BM
