The Chihuahua State legislature has approved a measure to begin mandatory emissions testing of automobiles in April, 1997 in order to combat air pollution. 40 inspection stations will be open in April for the testing. Testing in the capitol city of Chihuahua will begin in June.
Meanwhile a local provision to remove cars that fail emissions standards is under review by the Municipal Committee and City Hall. Included in the proposed regulation are fines from 624 pesos to 780 pesos, removing failing cars from circulation within 30 days using police and city inspectors, and requiring car dealers to submit vehicles for testing prior to selling them or be fined from 20 to 100 minimum wage hours. According to the motor vehicle department there are close to 300,000 vehicles registered in Ciudad Juarez, many of them in poor mechanical condition.
In order to accomplish inspections and enforcement, a new mobile montoring system was installed in early January. The system is composed of a mobile trailer equipped with a high performance computer , two laser based detection plates which will be set up on both sides of a roadway to check passing cars. One device detects speed and another detects emissions and polluting type. Finally another system will take pictures of the passing vehicle from four sides enabling authorities to doublecheck data with the Department of Motor Vehicles to find out ownership. Fines for non-compliant vehicles will be sent throught the mail to the owner. However, during the first trimester of testing, the City will not issue fines to non-compliant cars. The City plans to begin using the system on high volume thoroughfares in February. The detection equipment cost $1.9 million pesos.
Sources: El Norte, Diario de Juarez