CCTO, LTO-7 asked: Enforce Clean Air Act

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has urged the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) and the Land of Transportation Office (LTO) to implement the Philippine Clean Air Act and City Ordinance (CO) 2111 also known as the “Anti-Smoke Belching Ordinance of the City of Cebu.”

Air pollution has become a serious problem, especially in a highly urbanized city like Cebu.

The current forecast rates the air in Cebu City as moderately polluted, which are greater than the maximum limit that the World Health Organization (WHO) has established.

Two of the major contributors of air pollution are smoke belching and factory smoke emissions.

With the proposed ordinance, the Council aims for a stricter implementation of the existing city ordinance on anti-smoke belching and requests the LTO to conduct roadside spot emission tests and apprehend the motorists that does not pass the smoke emission standard.

Despite the existing national law and the city ordinance that penalize smoke belching vehicles, there are still a lot of these vehicles that are currently polluting the streets of Cebu and are not apprehended for violating the laws.

CO 2111 aims to prevent, control and abate the emissions of air pollutants from motor vehicles to protect health and welfare of the people in the city, and promote environmental sustainability.

Under the penal code of the said ordinance, violators are fined P1,000 for the first offence, P3,000 for the second offence, and P5,000 for the third offence. (FREEMAN)