The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency has given motorists more time to comply with environmental standards by extending the vehicle emission testing deadline to August 31.
Imran Hamid Sheikh, Director General of the EPA Punjab, stated that the overwhelming response at testing booths caused the original deadline of June 30 to be pushed back.
He went on to say, “The extension is meant to facilitate the public and ensure a smoother testing process.”
In the past 50 days, over 123,000 vehicles have undergone testing across the province.
Among them, approximately 2,000 vehicles were found to be emitting pollutants beyond acceptable limits.
Owners of these vehicles have been issued warnings and advised to make necessary repairs or tune their engines to reduce emissions.
The scientific process of measuring the amounts of harmful gases and particulate matter emitted from automobile exhausts is known as emission testing.
Particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO) are among the main pollutants measured during testing.
The owner is directed to take corrective action if the vehicle fails the test.
Vehicles built in 2022 or later are exempt from testing, according to the DG EPA, because they have built-in emission control systems and meet current Euro emission standards.
According to data from the Punjab Excise Department, there are five million four-wheeled vehicles and 20 million motorcycles registered in the province; in Lahore alone, there are 1.3 million four-wheeled vehicles and 5.2 million motorcycles.