The National Anti-Environmental Crime Task Force is strict in its campaign against air pollution. That is why antismoke-belching units were in action last Oct. 2 to test emission levels from public and private motor vehicles. I witnessed the actual emission testing of jeepneys conducted along Commonwealth Avenue by government operatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
For some, apprehending smoke-belching vehicles is a waste of time and causes inconveniences to commuters. However, we have to admit that the air we breathe is so polluted, largely because of heavy toxic emissions from these vehicles. We have to do something about this problem to protect our health.
Jeepney and bus drivers and their operators owe it to us, as paying riders, to properly maintain their engines as their share in the effort to reduce air pollution in Metro Manila.
It is a good thing to ensure that drivers obey laws and regulations on keeping the air clean. We may need to drill into the heads of drivers that noncompliance with emission standards will cause not only environmental and health issues but also real trouble for them.
The antismoke-belching operation is also essential to remind everyone, especially the drivers of their shared responsibility in keeping our environment—and, therefore, our people—healthy.
I hope that the antismoke-belching campaign be carried out on a regular basis in parts of the country where it is needed.
JOAN MARIE C. LAMBERTE, joanmarie_ucc@yahoo.com