Noise standards for vehicles to get tougher: Mah
By Dominic Nathan
STRICTER noise standards for new vehicles and those already on the roads will be introduced over the next two years, Environment Minister Mah Bow Tan announced yesterday.
They will come into effect from April 1 next year for vehicles on the road, and from January 1996 for new models imported here.
Most vehicles already meet the new standards.
But, said Mr Mah: "We need to start taking steps now to ensure that the poise situation does not deteriorate as Singapore becomes more intensely developed over the years."
He was speaking at the opening of Clean and Green Week 94 at Bishan Park which was launched by Deputy Prime Minister, Brigadier-General (NS) Lee Hsien Loong by planting a tembusu tree.
The start of the campaign, which has the theme, A Better Living Environment, coincided with the annual Tree Planting Day yesterday.
On the need for quieter vehicles, Mr Mah said that the current standards were introduced in 1987 but since then, quieter vehicles have been introduced, making current noise standards here appear lax.
According to ENV officials, the Motor Traders Association has said that car dealers would not face any problems in meeting the standards, but prices may go up marginally for some models.
ENV carried out extensive tests using the new standards and 99 per cent of the vehicles checked, which were of various makes and ages, met the new standards.
As for the 1 per cent which could not, it was usually a question of poor maintenance, which could be remedied easily.
The standards to be adopted here are based on Japanese noise limits, which measure the noise from about 0.5 m from the exhaust.
Another major source of noise, which is more difficult to manage, is neighbourhood noise.
Mr Mah said that it called for "give and take" between neighbours who should be considerate enough to turn down the volumes of television, radio and karaoke sets, for example.
Turning to the haze, Mr Mah said that the episode has reminded Singaporeans of three important truths:
• We live in an interdependent world and whatever we do to the environment has consequences on others.
• A clean environment is a precious resource, which must always be treasured.
• Every little bit counts.
The haze would have been much worse if local air pollution had not been under control.
Across the island, ministers and MPs planted trees in their own constituencies and led residents in the cleaning of common areas in the housing estates.
At Fort Canning, the Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi officiated at Seagate’s Action for the Environment programme for 1,000 employees and their families which saw a Nature Hunt and an art competition.
Source : The Straits Times, November 7, 1994
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