Checkpoints in some parts of North Korea are stopping nearly all vehicles for exhaust violations since Dec. 1. This has led drivers to complain that aging Chinese imports dumped on North Korea make environment-related compliance impossible.
A source in South Pyongan province told Daily NK recently that traffic police have been stopping vehicles releasing noticeable exhaust fumes on the streets of cities such as Kaechon and Tokchon since Dec. 1.
The problem is that most vehicles are being stopped by the police at each checkpoint, with few vehicles allowed to pass undisturbed.
“The government appears to have ordered the traffic stops as an end-of-the-year measure for environmental conservation, but nearly all the vehicles driving around downtown are exhaust heavy. This isn’t a new issue, and there’s a systemic reason for it: many imported cars are run-down vehicles that spew fumes. So there’s a lot of griping about what’s seen as an excessive crackdown,” the source said.
A large number of the vehicles currently in use in North Korea are used cars that were forced out of the Chinese market because of tightening rules and regulations about exhaust fumes, the source said. In other words, many pollution-heavy cars that can no longer be driven in China are being dumped on North Korea.
Mining areas suffer coal dust and exhaust as Chinese beaters flood market
“In heavy mining areas in South Pyongan province, you already have coal dust floating in the air, and now these black fumes are making public health even worse. You can’t expect much when vehicles are being brought over (from China) without a regular supply of parts and put on the road after a perfunctory inspection,” the source said.
While the authorities say the traffic stops are aimed at protecting the environment, the traffic police are under fire for overzealous enforcement aimed at collecting as many fines as possible.
Another complaint is that the traffic police are only stopping vehicles on major traffic arteries. Run-down Chinese-made trucks that frequent coal mines on the outskirts of the city are infamous smoke belchers, but those trucks operate with impunity.
The source quoted an employee at a trucking company who was recently fined during a traffic stop: “A more realistic approach is needed considering that aging vehicles are running day and night with only minimal maintenance. It’s absurd to think that the environmental issue can be resolved through tickets and fines alone.
“I think a better solution would be for the government to scrap all those cars or raise standards to prevent this kind of used cars from entering the country,” the employee was also quoted as saying.
“Pretty much everyone knows that the environmental pollution caused by operating beat-up vehicles can’t be addressed through traffic stops alone,” the source said. “Unless the state takes bolder measures such as tightening import standards or taking problematic cars off the road, the issue of exhaust fumes won’t be going away.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: dailynk.com
