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CHONGQING, SICHUAN PROVINCE - Bus driver Deng Yuan Qiang is waiting at the auto repair shop while mechanics work on his vehicle's exhaust system. A police officer had stopped him the previous Friday, he says, because the bus was emitting heavy exhaust fumes. He was instructed to get the problem fixed within 3 working days.

Mr. Deng has been driving this bus for 2 years and says it's the second time it has developed emission problems. Nearly an hour later, after paying a bill of 150 yuan (US$19), Mr. Deng and conductor Chen Li take the bus back into circulation.

Besides the police, members of the public sometimes join Chongqing's campaign against polluting vehicles.

"Some citizens will point to drivers of smoke-belching vehicles and make them feel ashamed," says one Chongqing pollution control official.

Chongqing is promoting public awareness of the issue as well as enforcing the rules. Importantly, it is also tightening its vehicle inspection standards with assistance from ADB.

Under a pilot project funded by a $900,000 regional technical assistance grant, ADB is helping the authorities strengthen the technical and operational standards of the city's inspection and maintenance system.

Feng Shiling, director of one of the city's four downtown inspection centers, says they are testing new vehicles-and 10% have been sent back to the manufacturer for below-par exhaust systems.

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ADB is also advocating the use of modern equipment such as calibrators that ensure test equipment is measuring accurately, and chassis dynamometers that can test an engine's emissions at different speeds rather than when it is simply idling.

ADB is proposing bringing the inspection process under one authority-which could be from the private sector-rather than through several different garages.

A study of the effectiveness of ADB assistance will be considered by Beijing for possible replication nationwide.

The hill city of Chongqing is ideal for such a project. It is one of the world's megacities-with 6 million people in the city proper and another 24 million in the surrounding areas-and is the industrial base for the southwestern PRC. Its steep slopes stress the city's half a million-plus motor vehicles, and, because it is surrounded by mountains, Chongqing's air is difficult to disperse.

Like other cities in the PRC, Chongqing is tackling both industrial and vehicular pollution, according to Hu Kei Zhao, Director of the National Supervision Center that carries out research on emissions. "On the industrial side, Chongqing is switching from coal to natural gas and is moving polluting enterprises like cement plants out of the central areas. As an example of controlling vehicle emissions, only buses using compressed natural gas are allowed in the city center," he says.

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Because bicycle riding is difficult on the hills, residents rely heavily on public trans- port; buses make up 40% of the total vehicles.

"Most buses are owned by individuals who want to maximize profit and keep maintenance costs low," notes Feng Shiling. Motor repair shop director Mu Wenqi confirms this.

With rising prosperity and increased investment in transport infrastructure, the PRC's energy consumption in the transport sector is expected to grow by nearly 7% yearly.

The PRC is well aware that, if this is not accompanied by improvements in vehicular fuel-efficiency standards and replacement of outdated technology, carbon emissions from vehicles will grow significantly.

The PRC is already the second largest emitter of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions after the United States, and some forecast it may surpass the US by 2020.

However, there are signs that the trend of worsening air quality has slowed in some cities in the PRC.

"I won't say it's serious-or not serious-but the situation is improving," says Mr. Feng. "We are improving on the hardware side, thanks to some help from ADB. The real challenge is improving the 'soft' side, in getting the public's cooperation."

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Chongqing's pollution level is reflected by the health of its citizens.

In the Third People's Hospital of Chongqing City, Dr. Wang Yaling, who deals with lung ailments, says asthma cases, especially among the elderly, rose during a period of heavy industrialization and construction but have leveled off with improved air quality.

Nationally, the PRC is determined to meet its environmental challenges. Many cities are ordering vehicles to convert to liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas. National legislation prohibiting the use of leaded gasoline is already on the books.

"ADB can help through technical assistance and bring a regional perspective to the problem," says Charles Melhuish, ADB's Lead Transport Sector Specialist. "Under our regional technical assistance, we have helped the PRC, India, Indonesia, and Viet Nam develop action plans to reduce emissions from motor vehicles."

The regional problem is increasing at an alarming pace. Although only 20% of the world's vehicles are in Asia and the Pacific, the region's total is growing by 10-15% a year.

To cope with the expansion, all countries need to address the multiple factors that affect emissions:

• the type and quality of fuel

• emission control technologies installed during production

• vehicle maintenance practices

• the age and turnover rate of vehicle fleets

Of particular concern in most Asian countries are the fleets of two or three-wheeled vehicles, many powered by two-stroke engines. These produce large quantities of emissions relative to their fuel consumption and are a major source of air pollution.

In the longer term, more attention also needs to be paid to local area transport planning, including promoting public transport and using transport demand management techniques and policies such as taxation, road pricing, and traffic management.

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Learn more about the regional workshop on Strengthening Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance -- 7 - 9 November 2001, Chongqing, PRC

Visit our vehicle emissions site

Read also Clearing the Air -- Vehicle Emissions in PRC

Learn about ADB's strong partnership with the PRC

Find out more about ADB's activities in PRC