XN000022-1975-05-21 — Page 11

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1975

EPCOM STILL STUDYING ANTI-NOISE CONTROLS

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INSPECTION OF NOISY VEHICLES WILL CONTINUE PENDING THE INTRODUCTION OF REVISED LEGISLATION WITH MORE EFFECTIVE POWERS TO CONTROL NOISE POLLUTION, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. JAMES ROBSON, TOLD COUNCIL TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. ROGER LOBO AS TO THE PROGRESS OF NEW REGULATIONS TO CONTROL EXCESSIVE NOISE BY VEHICLES, MR. ROBSON SAID THAT FOR THE TIME BEING THE BEST METHOD WAS TO CALL IN NOISY VEHICLES FOR INSPECTION AND TO REQUIRE THE OWNERS TO RECTIFY ANY DEFECTS FOUND.

LAST YEAR, HE SAID, THE POLICE CALLED IN FOR INSPECTION WELL OVER 1,000 VEHICLES REPORTED AS MAKING EXCESSIVE NOISE, AND THIS PACE WAS CONTINUING THIS YEAR.

MR. ROBSON SAID THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (EPCOM) AGREED THAT THIS WAS THE BEST APPROACH FOR THE TIME BEING AND HAD RECOMMENDED THAT MORE INSPECTION STAFF AND OTHER RESOURCES SHOULD BE PROVIDED SO AS TO WIDEN THE NET WHICH ALSO CAUGHT SMOKING AND UNSAFE VEHICLES.

+HOWEVER, WHILE THIS APPROACH HAS MY FULL SUPPORT, INCREASED ACTION AGAINST DEFECTIVE VEHICLES IN THE NEAR FUTURE IS LIKELY TO BE FRUSTRATED BOTH BY LACK OF FUNDS AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE CANDIDATES FOR POSTS OF VEHICLE INSPECTOR, HE ADDED.

MR. ROBSON TOLD COUNCIL THAT REVISED LEGISLATION WAS STILL UNDER EXAMINATION BY THE NOISE POLLUTION SUB-COMMITTEE AND THE PROBLEM WOULD ALSO BE EXAMINED BY ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES LIMITED, THE CONSULTANTS APPOINTED TO REPORT ON ALL ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROLS.

+NOISE

INFORMATION FROM OVERSEAS, HE SAID, INDICATED THAT THE FORMULATION OF EFFECTIVE LEGISLATION WAS A DIFFICULT TASK. LEVELS CAN BE MEASURED AND MAXIMUM PERMITTED LEVELS CAN BE SPECIFIED, BUT IF INSTRUMENT READINGS ARE USED AS EVIDENCE IN COURT IT IS NECESSARY TO CLEARLY IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE AND TO ELIMINATE EXTRANEOUS SOUNDS.

+IN ROADSIDE CHECKS, THIS IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE,+ HE SAID.

MR. ROBSON SAID THE SPECIFICATION OF PERMITTED NOISE LEVELS PRESENTED NO PROBLEM IN RESPECT OF NEW VEHICLES AS MOST OF THEM ALREADY COMPLY WITH THE PRESCRIBED LIMITS IN THE COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE.

+ IT IS THE VEHICLES ALREADY ON THE ROAD AND THE NEW VEHICLES, IN PARTICULAR SPORTS CARS AND MOTOR CYCLES. ON WHICH THE OWNER ALTERS EQUIPMENT AFTER IT IS PURCHASED, THAT ARE THE MAIN PROBLEM.+

IN A SUPPLEMENTARY