Punjab government was planning to impose a complete ban on the manufacturing of two-stroke motorcycle rickshaws from next month, while under the plan the existing lot of motorcycle rickshawss would be phased out by 2007 Official sources disclosed this to Business Recorder here on Tuesday. According to them, this was part of the transport policy of the provincial government. Furthermore, after the ban on manufacturing of two-stroke rickshaws in January this year.
The rickshaw manufacturers and rickshaw drivers' union demanded of the government to impose a similar ban on the two-stroke motorcycle rickshaws as well, as they were also a major contributor in pollution ambient air.
Under the plan, the two-stroke motorcycle rickshaw owners would have to replace their 100cc two-stroke motorcycles with 180cc four-stroke motorcycles, as the power of a 100cc two-stroke motorcycle equals 180cc four-stroke motorcycle, the sources said.
"This would help in reduction in exhaust omission and noise pollution, as four-stroke motorcycles omit less fumes, while old pollutant motorcycles would be made redundant," they added.
The step has been taken to control both air pollution and noise pollution, as two-stroke motorcycle rickshaws exhaust omission heavily as compared to normal rickshaw due to heavy load it carries.
Two-stroke motorcycle rickshaws omit particulate matter (PM 10), or in simple language fine and ultra fine particles in vehicle exhaust, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide.
In the recent survey of ambient air quality conducted by environment protection agency in December 2004, the level of PM 10 far exceeded the level set by WHO. High PM 10 effects lungs that cause respiratory and heart problems, hence this leads to increase in restricted activity in adults and in absenteeism in school children.
Excessive presence of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide in the ambient air also poses a threat to human health, including respiratory problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, sensitivity to asthmatic patients. It also caused reduction in oxygen carrying capacity in blood, impairment of the release of oxygen from haemoglobin, which effect brain, heart and muscles that use oxygen consumption and ultimately leads to development of coronary artery diseases, the sources pointed out.
The sources said, "Level of air pollution in the provincial capital exceeds the standard set by World Health Organisation (WHO) and the quality of ambient air was falling below air quality standards, which was playing havoc with the lives of 7.2 million people of the city."
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