Motor vehicles running on petroleum products that pollute the environment by emissions will no longer be allowed on Rwandan roads effective January 2015. That’s when authorities are expected to swing into action to enforce the Prime Minister’s order on curbing air pollution caused by motor vehicle emissions and machines using petroleum products gazetted earlier this year. The order gave motorists one year to ensure compliance before emission testing on motor vehicles would commence. However, most of the motorists that this newspaper talked looked clueless about the new legislation. They said they have never been contacted or informed about the law. This is an indication that there are a few loopholes in the roadmap toward the implementation of the law. With hardly 50 days left before the law comes into force, it is clear that enforcement will come with its own challenges as motorists are largely unaware of the development and have hardly taken steps to ensure they meet the minimum standards. However, it’s not too late. In the remaining short time, relevant enforcement agencies should embark on a sensitisation campaign about the law. This could be done through advertising in the media and sensitising people about the legislation and its implication on motorists and those who plan to buy cars. Motor vehicle owners need to be sensitised so that by the time the law comes into effect, they are in position to comply.
