Environment Bay of Plenty is currently undertaking a targeted education programme monitoring the situation. We have trained field officers around the Bay of Plenty every day and while they are carrying out their normal duties, they are taking down the details of excessively smokey vehicles. These are vehicles with exhaust emissions in excess of 10 seconds in duration.
These details are entered into a database and lodged with the Land Transport Safety Authorities’ register, Motochek. Motochek returns a report on the vehicle, its owner and its owner’s address. Environment Bay of Plenty sends the vehicle owner a letter stating when and where the vehicle was seen, and advising the recipient of Rule 6 the Air Plan. Which states:
- Rule 6 Permitted Activity – Vehicles and Small Internal Combustion Sources
The discharge of contaminants into air from normal combustion associated with vehicles and small internal combustion sources including but not limited to chainsaws, lawnmowers and boats is a permitted activity provided the following condition is complied with:
- The discharge must not result in excessive smoke for periods of 10 seconds or more.
Advising the vehicle owner of the problems and providing information to assist the owner on how to reduce emissions is all Environment Bay of Plenty will be doing at the moment. However, if the problems persist Environment Bay of Plenty will review its position and could introduce infringement notices.