EPA LAUNCHES VEHICULAR EMISSION STUDY REPORT

Story: Tim Dzamboe, Ho

THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a report on vehicular emissions after a study of the effects of pollution from road transport in major urban centres in the country.
The report comprised a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of transport policy, Ghana Vehicle Emission Inventory and the Road and Air Traffic Noise Monitoring conducted under the sub-component of the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) Transport Sector Programme Support (TSPS), Phase II.
It was launched at a two-day national stakeholder dissemination workshop on vehicular emissions at Ho at the weekend.
Launching the report on behalf of the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Alhaji Ahmed A. Yirimea said urban air pollution from road transport was a growing concern, since it affected air quality for quality public health.
He said the SEA recommended that environmental issues should be institutionalised and managed in an integrated and sustainable manner, adding that alternative road designs must consider the provision of noise barriers as a means of attenuating the noise levels.
He also said there was the need to strengthen linkages between the transport and other sectors such as energy, health and tourism, to ensure that such cross-sectoral overlaps were properly addressed.
Alhaji Yirimea noted that for the nation to deal with air pollution it was imperative to evolve a transport planning system that covered Traffic Demand Management and Traffic Management Systems as necessary and fundamental components.
He, therefore, said an integrated approach combining land use and transport planning, traffic demand management and management systems and regulation needs to be promoted.
He said all the elements should be supported by appropriate policies and actions on resource mobilisation, taxation, pricing, institutional and legal aspects with the relevant promotion and awareness creation programmes.
“It is important to develop vehicular emission standards which must be enforced together with existing traffic laws and regulations to achieve significant improvements in traffic flow and air quality”, he stated.
Alhaji Yirimea explained that proper enforcement is best implemented when the traffic code was clear and traffic management measures supported desirable driving behaviour.
A programme officer of DANIDA, Mr Mawuena Hayibor, said the Danish government considered climate change critical in its policies on developing countries.
He, therefore, announced that in line with its commitment to ensuring sustainable development in the developing countries, the Danish government would be addressing climate change, energy and environment as one of its priorities under its development assistance for the next five years.
A director of the Ministry of Transportation, Mr Godwin Brocke, said vehicle emission invaentory would have significant implications for the planning of road transport infrastructure and the delivery of all modes of transport and health in the country.
In his welcoming address, the Executive Director of EPA, Mr Jonathan Allotey, said the agency was instrumental in the phasing out of leaded fuel in 2004, adding that it was committed to championing the complete elimination of the use of metallic additives and also reduce the level of sulphur in fuels.