Fuel conservation project launched

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Pakistani environmental authorities on Tuesday launched a US $3 million revolving fund to set up 180 vehicle tune-up centres across the country with a view to decreasing harmful emissions and to conserve fuel.

"Conservation of energy is of paramount importance, with a direct impact on the overall fuel-import bills, economy and environment of the country," Pakistan's Minister for Environment, Local Government and Rural Development Owais Ahmad Ghani told a news conference in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.

"The revolving loan fund concept is the first of its kind in Pakistan, and will be instrumental in establishing public and private partnership for the conservation of energy in the road transport and other sectors, leading to local and global environmental benefits," he added.

The UNDP Resident Representative, Onder Yucer, told the news conference that the loan would be provided to automotive mechanics to improve their equipment for engine tune-ups so that vehicles would consume less fuel and produce less emissions which pollute the atmosphere.

"By bringing the micro-credit to urban poor, the ECF [Energy Conservation Fund] will improve the wellbeing of the population through increased income-generating opportunities for vehicle mechanics and workshop owners," Yucer added.

A Pakistani government official said the target was to set up 180 tune-up centres across the country within three years. However, more than 600 were required if all the vehicles in the country were to be subjected to biannual tune-ups, he added.

Ghani said a pilot project in collaboration of the UNDP for the computerised tune-up of vehicles had shown positive results, and many private-sector vehicle workshops following suit had improved their equipment as well.

The ECF project would also have a spin-off effect, and more workshops in the country would adapt the latest technologies, he added.

Due to non-enforcement of environmental laws, many old vehicles in Pakistan, including trucks, buses and three-wheel rickshaws, are responsible for emitting huge amounts of carbon-monoxide and other toxic emissions. The problem is particularly acute in large cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. The ECF project is designed to arrest and rectify the problem.