Tuesday 12^th June 2001

News that fewer and fewer people are being reported by the Environmental Protection Agency for driving smokey vehicles (only 166 vehicles in an 11 month period compared to 358 in the previous 12 months) has prompted the Australian Democrats to renew calls for a "Dob In A Smoky Car" hotline.

"Vehicles producing excessive smoke are mobile environmental bandits spreading carcinogens to anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the toxic plumes they emit," says Sandra Kanck, Democrats Transport spokesperson.

"The EPA is currently a toothless tiger incapable of policing the numerous motorists who flaunt the law.

"A hotline is a cost efficient way of ensuring the worst offenders will have to clean up their act."

The hotline would be a toll free number on which people could leave the relevant details of the offending vehicle. Any vehicle that was reported twice would be required to undergo an emissions check. If the car was found to have excessive emissions the owner of the vehicle would be required to pay for the cost of the inspection and take the vehicle to an authorised mechanic to correct the fault. If the vehicle was found to not be emitting excessive emissions the inspection would be free.

‘This is a fair, reasonably non-intrusive means of reducing the number of smoking vehicles on our roads," says Ms Kanck.

"Compulsory checks for all vehicles, as advocated by some, would drag too many law abiding motorists in for time-consuming, expensive and sometimes unnecessary checks on vehicles.

"As particle emissions from vehicles are a cause of preventable cancer and a catalyst for asthma attacks, a hotline would also produce a public health dividend."