Air Quality Management of Sri Lanka is planning to introduce laws to cut down the number of two-stroke motor cycles brought into the country.
AIRMAC, an institution under the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has identified a large number of motor bicycles go unnoticed because they are free from registering the Department of Motor Traffic.
AIRMAC Environment Management Officer Ruwan Weersooriya told The Island yesterday that the two-stroke motor bicycles are not only mushrooming but also contributing significantly towards air pollution.
According to Motor Traffic Department Commissioner General Bandula Wijeratne nearly 136, 592 vehicles had obtained new registration certificates during the first half of 2008, comprising 79,866 motor cycles, 21,140 three wheelers and 13,590 motor cars.
Motor cycle usage had increased annually, from 2001 to 2007 – 868,705 to 1,604,648- and new registration on motor cycles in 2001 was 34,119 and 182,508 in 2007.
The Department also said that in comparison to the corresponding period of 2007 there was a decrease of 16,470.
Sources at the Department said that the decrease in vehicles is due to imposition of duty on imported vehicles, continuous fuel hikes and stoppage of issuing new permits for importing vehicles for public servants.
In 2007 about 297,892 vehicles had been registered and all vehicles imported during the year were 3,125,794.