LAHORE, July 26: Following an air pollution survey carried out in Yateem Khana, Azadi Chowk and Kalma Chowk between June and July, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Punjab has released a set of recommendations to the city district government including the implementation of a road tax on Multan Road, The Mall, Ferozepur Road and other busy roads to discourage motorists.

Muhammed Farooq Alam, an EPA research official, told Dawn that measures must be taken to improve traffic flow as 80 per cent of the city’s air pollution in urban areas was accounted for by motor vehicles.

He said that cars standing still cause the surrounding area to saturate with noxious fumes such as Ozone, Sulphur Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrous Oxides and dust.

He added that it was up to the government and policy makers to implement more stringent vehicular checks, applicable to both public and private vehicles.

At present, checks were only carried out for smoke, noise and carbon monoxide content, whereas “the real trouble” comes from the emission of hydrocarbons, Nitrous Oxides, and Sulphur Dioxide which contribute to a host of cardiovascular diseases, he added.