User:Johino/sandbox

Cancellation of Aircare

AirCare was a vehicle emissions testing program in place in the Lower Mainland including the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Fraser Valley Regional District of British Columbia. The program was operational from 1992 to December 31, 2014. Drivers in these areas were required to demonstrate that their vehicle had recently passed an emissions test before they are permitted to renew their auto insurance. Auto insurance is mandatory for all vehicles operated on public roads throughout British Columbia. The program was administered by a subsidiary of TransLink, Pacific Vehicle Testing Technologies Ltd. The actual testing was carried out by Envirotest Canada, a Canadian subsidiary of ESP Global. People whose cars failed to pass the test before 2014 were now relieved of any testing.

Commercial trucks that were not tested in the past are now under tests since they mostly run on diesel, which emits more pollution than regular gas. .

The AirCare program was estimated to have reduced air emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles by 24% or 85 tones per year. .

Reasons behind Cancellation

Cars are gradually becoming more fuel efficient so the AirCare program lost its necessity, and was even criticized as a unnecessary "tax-grab," even though none of the tax dollars were actually sent into the program. But as the staff and equipment levels rose, the ICBC program costs also rose. The number of cars the failed AirCare had dramatically dropped since 2002 through 2011. In 2002, 127,000 cars failed aircare inspections. In 2007, 59,000 cars failed the inspection and in 2011, 40,000 cars failed. Furthermore, the ministry of environment stated that the emissions levels in 2014 had dropped all the way down to 17,000 tones from just under 150,000 tones.

Impact on Drivers

Due to the cancellation of AirCare, it has become easier to get insurance. The opinion of whether the AirCare program should have been cancelled is mixed. With several people reporting it was a bad thing to end the program, many were pleased.  The view of the people who were against the cancellation was that AirCare was essential for older vehicles on the road, and that it should have expanded to safety issues, beyond just an emission program. On the other hand, others were pleased because they could buy cars without having to get a permit first.

Post AirCare Cancellation

The British Columbia's innovative Accelerated Vehicle Retirement Program (BC SCRAP-IT) is a program that offers distinct incentive which helps reduce high levels of emission and supports alternative forms of transportation: public transit, membership in ride-share or care-share programs (car pool), and/or purchase of a bicycle.

Nine things the government is doing to make heavy-duty vehicles cleaner:

1. Retro-fit heavy duty diesel vehicles:

Government will retro-fit their heavy-duty vehicles and actively promote and use biodiesel.

2. Retro-fit transit buses:

Since transit buses can run up to 30 years of service, even though new and better models come out it is wise to clean the older models so they can be reused.

3. Clean up school buses:

The ministry of education invested $10 million to buy new clean school buses.

4. Get Aircare on road out to more communities:

The government plans to expand the Aircare to more regions of the provinces for heavy-duty vehicles.

5. Get big diesels to stop idling:

Typical inner-city tracker trailers tend to sit idling for 1,800 hours a year, which is equivalent to approximately 75 days of wasting fuel, costing money and burning fuel into the atmosphere. So the government is working to set up electric charge systems to stop the trailers to run on the engine.

6. Green vehicle fleets: we're making it happen:

Green Fleets B.C. (GFB.C.) will be a important factor on the latest green technologies for private and public sectors. Such as the taxis, emergency vehicles, delivery vans and commercial fleet trucks. GFB.C is also forms part of the governments climate change strategy which includes the reducing the greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2020.

7. Use biodiesel in government diesel vehicles:

Biodiesel is reusable fuel that is made from fats and oils of animals and plants. It is often mixed with diesel fuel and can be used in any time that the diesel fuel can be used.

8. B.C. Buys green:

British Columbia's government is highly green friendly and is working to incorporate there strategies into buildings, vehicle fleets and the purchase or lease of other goods and services.

9. Support Greener ports and marine vessels:

Vancouver's ports plays a crucial role in the British Columbia's economy. As Vancouver's ports are an important asset to the government, the government will work in partnership with the ports and related organizations to test new ways to reduce emissions from port operations.

Two additional transportation emission reduction policies and programs led by the province:

1. The government has stated that they will pass: "A new greenhouse gas reduction regulation that offers incentives to utility companies for natural gas transportation fleets - including buses, trucks or ferries, as well as the creation and operation of compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas fuelling stations."

2. Government invested $2 million to help the businesses exchange their heavy-duty diesel truck and equipment into more fuel efficient machines by setting up a low interest loan program, which saved money and helped reduce carbon emissions. This plan is estimated to reduce 13,400 tones of emissions over the first three years. The longterm goal for this $17 million plan is to make cleaner energy vehicles, building, charging stations and BC SCRAP-IT society.