Mobile pollution source is one of the main reasons for urban air quality deterioration, as well as a key point of enhanced control for the competent authorities of environmental protection and transportation. One of the most complained problems is the dark exhausts coming out of the tail pipe of diesel vehicles. To make the nationwide diesel vehicle control more complete and to carry out inspection and maintenance program(I/M) of diesel vehicle, this project was the continuation of the implementation achievements of I/M program in Taipei City in 2010. This year, the exemplary operations were expanded to include vehicles that were notified for inspection and self-management in Kaohsiung City and 6 other counties/cities. A inspection/maintenance integration database system platform was established for diesel vehicles to provide service and pollution inspection records for local governments. The initial implementation achievements show that the service facilities operated by the original manufacturers and passenger and freight transportaters who own diesel vehicles repaired better service quality. This year was the first time that diesel vehicle inspection software program verification was carried out. Various enhancement functions were added such as real-time transmission of inspection data, synchronization of vehicle registration at both the EPA and inspection station ends, secondary inspections and tracking of disqualified vehicles, and vehicle inspection history. Inspection programs provided by Envimac, Eugene Environment Technology and Mega Asia Co., Ltd. were certified. These efforts served to enhance EPA’s current diesel vehicle inspection quality management system and improve the administration efficiency of local environmental protection bureaus. For the draft amendment of diesel vehicle inspection procedure, first driving cycle tests were carried out using digital onboard recorders in order to verify the appropriateness of the current inspection procedure; then, 169 sets of test results were studied using the opacimeter to define the pollution level and opacity conversion criteria of Taiwan and the transition of test equipment; and finally, the test data collected from new vehicles and in-use diesel vehicles to establish the criteria for horsepower ratio at 45% for vehicles younger than 10 years and 40% for those older than 10 years. As such, the free acceleration test procedure and horsepower ratio qualification mechanism were preserved as the draft amendment of Taiwan’s inspection procedure. The year of 2012 to 2013 was selected for the announcement of amended test procedure and opacity criteria, and the establishment of opacimeter certification standard and the amendment of inspection programs, and 2014 was selected for the introduction of opacimeter tests for the diesel vehicle inspections at local authorities. After 2017, only opacimeter tests will be performed.

mobile source control;inspection/maintenance;proficiency testing