I think there are now just too many Emission Testing Centers in cutthroat competition making the business no longer viable unless a player resorts to trade malpractices, which eventually result to corruption and inefficiency of the program.
Reports have reached us that some unscrupulous operators of testing centers are even advertising for "non-appearance" of vehicles for testing while others have resorted to counterfeiting of official forms in order to get a viable share of the business.
We found out that the present scenario is an offshoot of the government’s deregulation of the industry leading to what the industry players themselves term as the "irrational proliferation" of these testing centers.
The PETCOA (Private Emission Test Center Owners Association) believes that prudence should have been exercised as well as careful and cautious planning by the Dept. of Trade & Industry and the Land Transportation Office in the processing and approval of the applications for these testing centers. If you recall the government, having no funds to implement all the provisions of the Clean Air Act, called on the private sector to put up these testing centers to ensure that vehicles have accepted emission levels prior to registration. However, it now appears that it failed to properly regulate it that the industry has over expanded and that the present developing scenario is proving top be a "no win" situation for all.
The best solution that the industry players are suggesting to the government is to immediately put into effect a moratorium of three years on the processing and issuance of new permits to establish and operate additional testing centers.
Admitting that a moratorium is best at the moment to arrest the developing scenario, it should also be imperative on present industry players to police their ranks and get rid of the unscrupulous by helping in the prosecution of erring operators.
Whatever, something needs to be done and done fast or else the Clean Air Act’s emission level control provisions will go up in smoke — black smoke.
The Optra 1.6, which is the present model available in the country, comes either in 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic variants. Having similar DOHC-MPFI engines both have a maximum power of 107 hp @ 5,800 rpm and maximum torque of 150 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. Gasoline consumption for the manual is averaged at 14.8 kilometers per liter while the automatic runs 12.34 kilometers on a liter. For the speed freaks the manual accelerates to 100 km/h in 12.4 seconds with a maximum speed of 180 km/h while the automatic does it in 14.4 seconds with a top speed of 172 km/h.
For safety both variants have 4-sensor, 4-channel ABS with EBD on their brakes, which have ventilated discs up front and discs on the rear wheels. Aside from driver side airbags and anti-theft immobilizer, other safety features include the energy-absorbing sandwich construction of the bulkhead and dashboard, and impact-absorbing rigid foam elements in the front doors. The three-piece construction of the bumpers is designed to withstand collisions of up to 8 km/h with little or no damage to keep repair costs down.
There is still a mouthful to say about the Optra but we suggest you check it out yourself at any General Motors AutoWorld dealership nearest you. But judging by the very confident smile of our good friend Nicky Mariano, the top marketing honcho of General Motors Automobiles Philippines is flashing everyday, I will not be surprised if a long line of reservations is in the making.
Former Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve has been scrapped from BAR Honda’s roster, and it may take effect in the next race weekend. Takuma Sato will probably take his place in Suzuka, as Honda is very eager to let a Japanese driver race there. Many are saddened by the turn of events because the Canadian has been a massive asset to the team. A lot of other teams tendered offer sheets to Villeneuve in the past to leave BAR but his loyalty never wavered. Though he said he is not planning to retire anytime soon, he admitted in a recent interview that F1 was starting to become "unenjoyable". He said that he was thinking of trying Le Mans and be the first person in history to win F1, CART, Indy 500 and Le Mans. However, he also disclosed that it would be hard to imagine racing in any other league but Formula 1.
The format of the qualifying system has been changed once again. In Suzuka, the Friday will be scrapped and there will instead be an extended Saturday qualifying run.
Tire pressure gauges are readily available in hardware stores and auto accessory shops. Having one can always keep you updated. Almost all service stations have air pumps where you can have your tire pressure checked and corrected if need be.
You can also determine if you have been running with incorrect tire pressures with a cursory inspection of your tire thread’s wear. If the wear is visibly on the thread’s inner or outer edges, then you have been running with under-inflated tires while if it’s the middle portion, then you have been having too much air in your tires.
To find out the correct tire pressure, check the vehicle’s door for the manufacturer’s recommended inflation. The recommended tire pressure is more often than not on "cold roll", meaning that the vehicle has not run or has been on a standstill for a long period of time.
Happy Motoring!!!
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