§ Ms. WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he proposes to take to introduce roadside testing to ensure on-road compliance of motor cycles, cars, light vans, buses and heavy goods vehicles with emission standards for(a) carbon monoxide, (b) smoke and (c) noise; and if he will set annual targets for such testing.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe police and the Department's vehicle examiners have the power to check vehicles at the roadside for emissions. The use of those powers by the police is a matter for the chief constables. The Department's examiners make a visual assessment of emissions at the roadside as part of roadworthiness inspections. The targets for these inspections in 1992–93 are 125,000 heavy goods vehicles, 23,000 public service vehicles and 33,000 cars and light goods vehicles. In addition, there will be metered roadside checks of smoke and carbon monoxide emissions from some 13,000 vehicles.
By 1 January next year, annual roadworthiness tests of most vehicles apart from motorcycles will include metered checks of carbon monoxide and smoke. Those tests are the main way of dealing with excessive on-road emissions from individual vehicles.
Excessive noise arising from a missing or a faulty silencer would lead to failure at annual test and prohibition at the roadside.