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Letter: Emissions scandal a sign we need to bring back AirCare

Editor: The Ford (motor company is now being investigated in the) emissions defeat device scandal (along with other companies). These manufacturers made more than half of the vehicles on the road in British Columbia.
aircare
The now defunct AirCare Inspection Centre on Senator Road in North Vancouver

Editor:

The Ford (motor company is now being investigated in the) emissions defeat device scandal (along with other companies). These manufacturers made more than half of the vehicles on the road in British Columbia. All of the best-selling vehicles could be impacted. It is time to restart testing vehicles for actual emissions.

The province has set a commitment that only zero-emission light-duty vehicles will be allowed to be sold as of 2040 in British Columbia. Bringing back the AirCare program is a reasonable way of ensuring that the worst-emitting vehicles are fixed. 

The options available for vehicles that failed AirCare were being fixed, removed from the roads or, for vehicles over 25 years old, being downgraded to being driven as vintage vehicles only.  

When AirCare was cancelled, the major reason stated by the province was that fewer vehicles were failing the tests. 

We now know that they weren't failing the test because the vehicles had lower emissions, it was just that the vehicles themselves were fitted with defeat devices to lower emissions only while being tested. 

Many consumers may believe the lies they were told when they purchased their latest vehicle. For instance, that theirs was a clean diesel or a low-emission vehicle when it is possible they were buying a vehicle with a device designed to reduce emissions only while the vehicle was being tested. 

Those drivers may not know they are exceeding reasonable emission limits with each kilometre driven. Even worse, they may not have taken advantage of the recalls to upgrade the emission controls on their vehicles. Now that we know how these vehicles were passing emissions tests, returning an AirCare requirement that catches the worst polluting vehicles will ensure that those worst emitters are also removed from the road in a sustainable way.

Morgan Stewart, New Westminster