BAN ON OVER -AGED CARS Minister Clears Air

BY EMMANUEL OPARE DJAN, DURBAN (COURTESY) MEST, EPA

Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Madam Sherry Ayittey has cleared the air on the misunderstanding surrounding the proposed ban on importation of ‘second-hand vehicles’, which has incurred displeasure of many especially importers of used cars.

In an interview with the Daily Democrat in Durban, South Africa at the just ended climate change conference, the Minister revealed that the proposed ban would be on over-aged vehicles that are 10 years and above.

She noted that there is already a law in Ghana that bans the importation of over-aged vehicles and that as more conscious efforts of tackling climate are being considered, the ages of the vehicles could be reviewed.

The Minister who first disclosed this at a site event organized by the UN Environmental programme (UNEP) and the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI) on protecting climate change and improving air quality during the United Nations climate change conference in Durban,the government is committed to implement climate change mitigating measures to reduce the effect of global warming stressing the need for fuel switch of the use of wood as fuel in rural area. Air pollution she said is impeding sustainable development because it threatens human health and crop production.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 3.1million people mostly in developing countries die prematurely annually from indoor and outdoor air pollution.

Proposal to ban imported second-hand vehicles over certain ages as a way of fighting the negative effects of climate change and to ensure cleaner and healthier air can be looked at in two perspectives namely economic and health. Climate change and its adverse effects are known to almost every individual in Ghana today because discussions on the phenomenon have been in the public domain for quite some time.

Global warming and its attendant problems of serious droughts in some parts of the world while other parts are submerged under water because of excessive rainfall is just one of the negative effects of climate change.

Greenhouse gasses are the primary cause of climate change with carbon emissions from vehicles, factories and some house hold equipment like refrigerators driving the climate change phenomenon. The world over, countries are making conscious efforts to either reduce their greenhouse gas emissions or where possible completely halt activities that produce these harmful gasses. Ghana, like the rest of the world is committed to fighting climate change but is faced with making important decisions to either overlook the economic considerations of this move to ensure better health of its people vice-versa.

The transportation situation in the country is not something commuters feel proud about hence proposal of a ban on used vehicles may appear a policy to worsen the already bad transportation system in the country, especially when alternative transportation systems to road transport are non-existent.

However, the cost of allowing over-aged vehicles into the country for the economic aspect is the health of Ghanaians in general and the threat to life that carbon emissions from these vehicles pose on the country and the world. Either way, the country still has to make a decision on banning importation of old vehicles to safeguard the health of Ghanaians and the climate or allow the importation of these vehicles to the detriment, not only of Ghanaians but also to the climate and by extension to agriculture, vegetation, wildlife etc.

Many have argued that banning of used vehicles will curtail the economic ventures of importers, sales persons and all those who make a living on importation of used cars.

From a wider perspective, however, allowing over-aged vehicles into the country is like a double-edge sword on the throat of Ghanaians because the impact of climate change resulting from carbon emissions from these vehicles completely outweighs the benefits. Indeed, there are other sources of carbon emissions besides vehicles that also warrant serious attention. The fact that advance countries are spending millions of dollars into research on electric vehicles, however, gives a true picture of the problem.

The fight against climate change should be multifaceted and to succeed in providing a world free of greenhouse gases, Ghana like other countries of the world must be committed to reducing all the sources of these harmful gases.

The implementation of the Bulk Road Transport System is one such intervention, which would see Ghanaians make more use of public transport rather than their vehicles.

Indeed, a successful implementation of the programme would enhance the law on the ban of importation of over-aged vehicles and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the negative impact of climate change.