The Department of Motor Traffic is setting up a special photographic unit to identify vehicles that emit excessive smoke, under its Vehicle Emission Testing Programme.
Officers will be posted at strategic locations in major cities across the island and will photograph offending vehicles on public roads.
Based on the photographs, maintenance orders will be issued to the vehicle owners on the same day. Owners must repair their vehicles and present them for inspection at the Vehicle Emission Testing Centre in Werahera by the deadline given in the order.
Vehicles whose owners do not comply will be blacklisted in the department’s database. According to the Vehicle Emission Testing Programme, blacklisted vehicles will face significant restrictions when owners apply for revenue licences or transfer ownership.
Motorists should keep their vehicles in good running order to avoid an order and the restrictions that follow.