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Province unveils plans to encourage retirement of beater cars

By: Bruce Owen

2/04/2009 12:30 PM | Comments: 7

Manitoba has a reputation as having more older cars on the road than most other provinces.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Manitoba has a reputation as having more older cars on the road than most other provinces.

The Manitoba government will soon launch a number of programs to get exhaust-pipe belching pre-1995 vehicles off the road -- or at least keep them tuned up properly so they don’t pollute.

The new initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were announced today with the release of the Vehicle Standards Advisory Board.

Science, Technology, Energy and Mines Minister Jim Rondeau said the goal is to get Manitobans driving more fuel-efficient vehicles. The province has a reputation as having more older cars on the road than most other provinces.

The plan includes:

  • promoting fuel efficiency on Manitoba roads, including getting more drivers to check tire pressure.
  • introducing a "Green Driving" public education campaign to promote better vehicle maintenance, driving habits and tips on anti-idling and promoting car pooling.
  • encouraging more use of public transit.

There will not be any penalties against people who want to hang on to or sell an older car, or against those who own classic or antique vehicles, Rondeau said.

Details of the car retirement program are to be announced in the coming weeks. Part of the plan involves replacing the province’s hybrid-rebate program with new incentives to get older cars off the road.

As of Jan. 1, 2009, there were 1,975 hybrid vehicles registered in Manitoba. The total fleet is 736,000 vehicles, including hybrids.

Rondeau also said the province supports the California Air Resources Board model for vehicle emission reductions. The tough standards are pending approval in the United States.

Rondeau said it made no sense adopting California’s standards for Manitoba as the province is just a small fish in a big pond.

"We’re one-quarter on one per cent of the North America market," he said. "We’re not going to drive the agenda."

The full report can be viewed on the provincial government's website (PDF file)

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

 

 


 

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7 Commentscomment icon

How about syncing up some of these traffic lights so one doesn't have to stop at every single intersection. Especially during peak hours and why are we stopping at signals say on a Sunday's or say Spring Break when little or no traffic is around? Like the University area? Or rt 90 near Red River College. These areas should be flashing yellow allowing traffic to flow through without sitting and waiting for green lights for 2-3 minutes at a time.

With the abundance of short line rail tracks within the city, I'm still perplexed why the city hasn't taken advantage of this infrastructure and developed an electric light rail transit powered by Manitoba Hydro. Can't get much more greener than that. But then I guess ripping up an perfectly good rail line and building a road for buses to drive on makes much more sense?

avatar

People in Winnipeg don’t like transit. In the suburbs you have to walk three or four blocks to a bus stop. Sometimes three transfers are needed to get to a destination. At forty below or thirty five above this isn’t fun. Sitting in the car with the heater or A/C on drinking coffee and listening to their choice of music is far more appealing. Besides even in rush hour traffic you can drive from one end of Winnipeg to the other in less than an hour. Needs and climates in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto are different. Some people just can’t figure this out.

The transit system truly is unimpressive in Wpg. No signage expectations for using a phone to get bus information. Not everyone has a phone let alone a cell.

The bus stops should have SOME kind of information about the route, like where it goes? and more public system maps would be nice too.

Public transit should become more comfortable to use in our extreme weather too. Subway please:D

Better transit means a better city.

AllHailDiscordia

Encouraging more use of public transit is not viable unless our transit becomes more efficient, and cover greater ground in less time. Basically, under this current system, transit is not an option for many people.

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