PESHAWAR, Jan 27: The only Vehicular Emission Testing Station (VETS) in the provincial capital lacks capacity to check and identify the growing number of vehicles violating the notified National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS).

VETS was set up in Chamkani area of the Peshawar district in June 1997 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with GTZ to check air pollution.

Only one station was functioning for the last 10 years in the province, and recently another started operation in the Swat district. Five other mobile VETS would be set up in six cities of the NWFP, officials said.

The number of commercial and private vehicles has increased, mainly due to leasing schemes, but the number or capacity of the VETS has not been increased resulting in its inability to deal with the excessive vehicular emission, sources said.

“Excessive vehicular emission is the main source of air pollution and cause of respiratory and other problems in urban areas,” the sources said.

According to EPA data, the total number of registered vehicles in the NWFP was 15,320 some 10 years ago and VETS had the capacity to test only 9,210 vehicles violating NEQS in 1997-1998.

In 2005-06, Vets staff tested and declared unfit 9,649 vehicles, revealing how limited its capacity was.

“VETS has a testing capacity of 40 vehicles per day, whereas the induction of vehicles per year is in hundreds,” an official said.

According to the Excise and Taxation Department figures, there are about 500,000 registered vehicles and the trend to own a vehicle is on the rise.

In 2000-01, some 2,170 vehicles were registered whereas the number of vehicles had increased in the province as 12,521 vehicles were registered during 2005-06, said an Excise and Taxation official.

EPA officials conceded that Vets lacked the capacity to deal with the growing air pollution problem, whereas its three mobile units were not very effective in penalising those vehicles which polluted air.

Many vehicles in Peshawar remained untested for vehicular emission, better fuel and engine efficiency.

“I have been driving in the city for more than 10 years but my vehicle has never been tested for emission by VETS,” said Naeem Shah, of the Hayatabad township.

The computerised equipment of the mobile units of vets was also outdated, the sources added.