For a number of years now motorists in the UK have lived with the experience of being diverted into lay-bys when leaving a motorway in order to undergo roadside tests on exhaust emission and noise.

While I would hesitate to suggest that the English ever do anything right (or that the Maltese could learn anything from them), I am of course aware that these islands rushed to copy Ireland’s introduction of a smoking ban, before fully working it out, and that all lung condition illnesses here are automatically assumed to be cigarette-related. Given that the levels of atmospheric pollution in parts of Malta have been described by the EU as “chronic”, this perhaps needs further thought.

Many readers have pointed out that exhaust emissions can be seen, smelt, heard and tasted. It might conceivably be possible that the VRT test is insufficient, or perhaps inefficient.

But every motorist knows how disgusting it is to be driving behind any vehicle, including those owned or managed or indirectly controlled by the government, that is belching noxious black fumes.

A system of checking could easily be introduced, without even delaying motorists, by instituting a series of checks at Cirkewwa and Mgarr, while the majority of vehicles are standing idle (they could use the opportunity to examine the lights, if any, on trailers, at the same time).

On the other hand, the Transport Ministry could do nothing. And blame it all on tobacco.

Revel Barker

Ghajnsielem, Gozo