At least 89 private cars and passenger vehicles underwent free vehicle emission test conducted by the Naga City Environment and Natural Office, in cooperation with the Caleb-Mitsubishi Motors Naga last week.

The emission test was part of the city’s ongoing campaign against smoke belching vehicles plying the city streets and highways, in consonance with the provisions of the Clean Air Act.

Naga City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo said pollution is how the environment pays for its industrial inefficiency, motorized transportation, and wasteful consumption. "There must be a sustained effort to guard our environment from human abuse and industrial deficiency before the problem becomes too late."

Last year, the CENRO, through Erlinda Bailey, supervising environmental specialist, conducted a series of on-the-spot anti-smoke belching tests on passing vehicles, and apprehended those with defective machines.

More than 479 smoke-belching diesel-fed vehicles vans, trucks, and jeepneys were impounded last year for violation of the anti-smoke belching ordinance.

The city collected the total amount of over P70,000 in fines and penalties. Owners of the apprehended vehicles were also ordered to fix their defective engines before they were allowed to ply the city streets again.

The free vehicle emission test was made possible through the cooperation of the Caleb-Mitsubishi Motors Naga, through its manager, Sotero Dionisio who lent the opacemeter, an advanced computerized equipment used in determining the defective exhaust volume of a vehicle.

Motorized passenger vehicles are required to undergo smoke emission test which normally costs P250 in private accredited testing centers for the renewal of their registration. A city ordinance provides penalties for smoke-belching vehicles.

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