Topic: Vehicular emissions in Peshawar and its control

SUBMITTED TO:
Sir M.Rafiq

SUBMITTED BY:
Abdul Wahid
B.Sc Economics (Hons)
Semester 6th

Institute of Management Sciences Peshawar

Contents:

1. Introduction

1.1. Background

1.2. Research problem

1.3. Research questions

1.4. Research gap

2. Literature reviews

2.1. City report on Peshawar

2.2. Air pollution in Peshawar

3. Methodology

3.1. Purpose of study

3.2. Objectives

3.3. Area profile

 4. Data collection

5. Conclusion (expected)

Topic: Vehicular emissions in Peshawar

and its control.

1. Introduction:
1.1 Background:
Air pollution is one of the biggest challenges faced by the present world.
Almost all the big cities are faced with the challenge of reducing air pollution
and giving its inhabitants a clean air to breathe in. Pakistan as part of the
developing countries is faced with the same problem.

Peshawar, the metropolitan city of Khyber pakhtunkhwa is polluted to an

extent that can be described well by the word dangerous. Air pollution in
Peshawar is mainly caused by gases and particles from vehicles of all types.
The air pollution in the streets of Peshawar is mainly caused by gases and
particular from motor vehicles of various kinds. Substantive measurements
are still not available but it must be feared that we have crossed the limits of
the world health organization (WHO) for visible and invisible pollutants.

In the old city air can be seen filled with noxious blue smoke exhausted by
rickshaws and other two wheelers. The visible particles of diesel and burned
oil are making life unbearable in other parts of the city. Invisible green house
gases like carbon-monoxide (CO), Hydrocarbons (HCs) and Nitrogen oxides
(Nox) are increasing alarmingly.

Statistics show that Peshawar has a large population of vehicles, which

include 94000 four wheel vehicles, 7700 three wheeler rickshaws and 33000
motorcycles with two stroke engines. The condition of these vehicles are far
from satisfactory, more than 80% of large vehicles are unsuited to be run on
the roads but the regulation of vehicle fitness is very difficult to enforce
under the prevailing transport system.

The present conditions are made worse by fuel adulteration (Mixing of fuel
with other things). Most of the fuel sold in the city is adulterated. Petrol
pump owners are of the opinion that without this adulteration, it is very
difficult to run fuel stations on the present regulated price mechanism. The
fact remains that fuel adulteration is wide spread and is among the major
causes of unsatisfactory engine performance as well as vehicular emission in
Peshawar. Spares of second-hand vehicles find their way into the Peshawar
market (shoba bazaar). These spares are replaced in vehicles for their low
cost which results in inappropriate maintenance of vehicles and increased air
pollution in the city.

1.2 Research problem:

Peshawar is polluted to an extent which is dangerous to the health of the
people living in it. These dangerous emissions should be controlled as soon
as possible by the government of Khyber pakhtunkhwa.

1.3 Research questions:

A video based interview from the local people of Peshawar is conducted to
check their willingness to pay and contribution in reducing the vehicular
emissions. This interview will be based on a questioner having five (5)
questions.

1. What is your opinion about the pollution in Peshawar is it because of

the poor conditions of vehicles or is there any other externality
responsible for pollution?

2. What is your role in controlling the vehicular emissions as a driver?

3. What should the government do for the reduction of vehicular

emissions?

4. Suppose the government announced that we will start a project to

reduce the vehicular emissions, the citizens of Peshawar will pay 50 or
 100 rupees per month as a tax for making the environment cleaner.
Will you accept this?

5. How much are you willing to pay for the reduction of these vehicular
emissions?

1.4 Research gap:

This research analyzes the willingness to pay in order to check the consumer
behavior of the community in reducing the vehicular emissions in Peshawar.
Majority studies done on this topic are done on statistical calculations,
though consumer behavior was ignored. Through this research the
government will be able to impose new or change the existing policies of air
pollution. This will bring an effective change in controlling these harmful
emissions causing various health problems.

2. Literature reviews:

2.1 City report on Peshawar [Isfandyar Ali khan (barrister-

at-law)]:
There are 135000 registered vehicles in the city, besides the number of
unregistered. The vehicles are polluting the air at an enormous rate. Beside
all kind of vehicles, 2-stroke tri-wheelers and motorcycles pollute the most.
Rickshaws and other tri-wheelers are fined by the traffic police for not having
the route permit, there is no strict law on polluting the air by emitting deadly
gases. 2-stroke engine vehicle are not allowed for registration now a days.
The level of air pollution from all sources is 15406 tons per year. Last survey
was conducted in 1995 in different parts of Peshawar. The level of carbon
dioxide in the air has reached 330 parts per million (ppm) in the Peshawar
localities of Hayatabad, University Town, Cantonment and the general Bus
Stand on GT-Road. Safe carbon dioxide level in air is 9 (ppm). Carbon
monoxide level on GT-Road bus stand is 70 (ppm) while the standard level is
8 (ppm).

The main problems and weaknesses are policy and legislative defects,
financial resources, technical support and lack of awareness. There is an
urgent need to establish more VETS (Vehicular Emission Testing Station) to
check vehicles emissions.

Ambient air quality standard should be established and enforced NEQS

(National Environment Quality Standards). All the vehicle manufacturers
should follow these standards. District EPA’s (Environmental Protection
Agencies) are needed to be established along with the reconsideration of
transport policy.

The conclusion of this literature is that the government should focus on the
policies and correct them by reconsideration of transport policy. The
problems and weaknesses should be monitored by the government i.e. lack
of administrative capacity, lack of interest on behalf of the bureaucracy and
political establishments, lack of public awareness, lack of financial resources,
technical support and legislative defects.

To sort out these problems the government should impose new policies with
new techniques to help controlling these emissions caused by vehicles in
Peshawar.

2.2 Air pollution in Peshawar NWFP (now Khyber

pakhtunkhwa)-Pakistan [Shams-ur-Rehman (chief analyst
EPA)]:
With the rapid increase in population, urbanization and industrialization, air
pollution is becoming very common problem especially in urban areas of
NWFP. The major problems of emissions are from automobiles exhaust
emissions, industrial emissions, especially from brick kilns factories,
domestic burning and windblown dust arising from unpaved roads.

Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, smoke, dust, hydrocarbons and tetra-ethyl

lead are the main components of vehicular emissions into the air. Fuel
adulteration and use of poor condition vehicles enhance the emission.

Peshawar, being a border city of Afghanistan, the large number of afghan

transporters has greatly increased the problem of air pollution as the
vehicles are old.

For auto-emission the government has established VETS (Vehicular

Emissions Testing Station) in 1997, which has tested so far more than 50,000
vehicles.

The existing road transport plans for Peshawar do not fulfill the requirements
of the whole population residing in Peshawar city. Many commercial areas
and residential colonies are not accessible by the present public transport
system and the public are compelled to use private cars, taxis and auto-
rickshaws to approach these areas.

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Khyber pakhtunkhwa is working on a

project to design such a public transport management system which fulfills
the requirements of whole public residing in Peshawar city, it means that
from this literature we can conclude that new means of transport should be
organized by the government in order to ease the difficulties faced by the
people living in Peshawar.

There should be a proper budget because a lot of money is required for a big
project. By project we mean something which can solve the problems of the
emissions caused by vehicles, something like bullet trains or perhaps electric
trains or maybe we can say buses that are hybrid or electric buses etc.

3. Methodology:
3.1 Purpose of study:
The purpose of the study is to check the willingness to pay of the people of
Peshawar for cleaner environment that how much they want to pay to the
government for the reduction of vehicular emissions and what are the
suggestions and ideas or what is their contribution in the reduction of these
emissions.

Also we want to see how can we reduce the vehicular emissions or what
steps should be taken by the government and locals for controlling these
dangerous emissions by vehicles.

3.2 Objectives:
The objectives of this study are:

• To see or check the willingness to pay of the local citizens (transport

and private vehicle owners), that how much they are willing to pay to
the government for the reduction of these vehicular emissions.

• How to control the vehicular emissions in Peshawar to have a cleaner

environment.

3.3 Area profile:

This study targets the area of Peshawar which is densely populated with
air pollution. This can be seen when you enter the city (hashtnagri) of
Peshawar. A dust bowl is clearly seen by a naked eye. The government
has taken no preventive measures to overcome air pollution problem in
this area.

4. Data collection:
The study is based on a secondary data taken from EPA (Environmental
protection agency) and VETS (vehicular emissions testing station). This
secondary data shows the emissions by vehicles recorded in different parts
of Peshawar city in (ppm) for 1 hour, 8hours and 12 hours maximum. Also
how many vehicles are being checked by VETS to issue passed or failed
vehicle testing certificates which includes CNG, gasoline and diesel vehicles.
This data is taken from EPA (Environmental protection agency) which shows
the amount of carbon monoxide emitted in various areas of Peshawar
measuring in (PPM). The data is recorded from 1 hour to maximum of 12
hours. This table shows that the carbon monoxide emitted in hayatabad for 1
hour is recorded 5.50 ppm (maximum) and 0.35 ppm (minimum), For 8 hours
is 5.00 ppm (maximum) and 0.39 ppm (minimum) and for 12 hours is 4.89
ppm (maximum) and 1.29 ppm (minimum).

Average CO Ave
Location Concentration Con
(Chowk) ppm
(1 Hour) (8

Hayatabad 5.50 +/- 0.35 5.0

Board of
Intermediate
This data was collected from VETS (Vehicular emission testing station). In
this table the numbers of vehicles which have passed and failed are
mentioned along with the total number of vehicles in Peshawar.

This data shows that the total number of CNG vehicles tested is 1050 out of
which all of them are passed having 100 percent. The gasoline vehicles
percentage is 95.03 percent. The diesel vehicles passed percentage is 24.62
percent. So the total number of vehicles tested is 143670 out of which 80579
are passed while the remaining 63091 are failed. So from this given table we
conclude that the majority of the emission is caused by the diesel vehicles as
compared to the other categories.
Conclusion (Expected):
There is an urgent need to establish more VETS (vehicle emission testing
station) to check vehicle emissions, a major source of air pollution
throughout Peshawar. Ambient air quality standards should be established
and enforced on priority basis.

Replacing of two (2) stroke vehicle engines particularly in rickshaws and

motorcycles with four (4) stroke engines is urgently needed. 2 stroke engines
must be banned strictly.

Two mobile vans are not enough for testing emissions in Peshawar; ten or
more vans may be enough for the present number of vehicles on the road.
The NEQS (national environment quality standards) should be strictly
enforced. Reconsideration of transport policy, the existing road transport of
Peshawar is not good.

The government should think or plan a transport facility which can access
the whole city. For example an electric train perhaps but it is not possible as
the government lacks resources and don’t have budget for it.

District EPA’s should be built which will help in observing the matter of
pollution caused in those areas. There is only one office of EPA in Peshawar
which is responsible for the observation of all the cities of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. Swabi should have a separate EPA, Charsadda should have a
separate EPA, same should be in Mardan, Swat, Nowshera etc.

Plantation of trees is required as much as possible on the side of the roads

and between the dividers. The sides of the roads should be constructed. The
empty areas of Peshawar must be planted with trees because trees help in
carbon sequestration.

Also the government should encourage people to do cycling and walk by

making cycling and walking tracks on the side of the roads as it is good for
their health, like we have an example of china. Awareness teams should be
made by the government to advice the local people about health and safe
environment.
References:
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Peshawar.

• Vehicle emission testing station (VETS) chamkani chowk

Peshawar.

• Air pollution in Peshawar NWFP (now Khyber

pakhtunkhwa)-Pakistan [Shams-ur-Rehman(chief
analyst EPA)]: (http://www.docstoc.com/docs/530374/AIR-POLLUTION-IN-
PESHAWAR-NWFP-PAKISTAN)

• City report on Peshawar [Isfandyar ali khan (barrister-

at-law)]
(http://www.google.com.pk/#hl=en&biw=1400&bih=916&q=city+report+on
+peshawar&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=fcfd0744855b67eb