Taipei City has a large number of motorcycle users, and motorcyclesconstitute one of the main pollution sources in the Taipei metropolitan area.On July 1, 2017, the Department of Environmental Protection, Taipei CityGovernment began trial implementation of “Low Emission Model Zones”(hereinafter referred to as “Low Emission Zones”), with implementation of
an “Air Quality Maintenance Zone” policy scheduled to begin in 2018. In relation to these initiatives, in FY 2018 the Environmental Inspection Division, Department of Environmental Protection, Taipei City Government commissioned Envimac Technology and Consultants Corporation to implement the “Taipei City Plan for Strengthening Mobile
Pollution Source Inspection Capabilities in Air Quality Maintenance Zones.” The Plan implementation period was from June 29, 2018 to December 31, 2018.As of December 31, 2018, the overall Plan implementation completion rate was 100%. A total of 5,537 roadside inspections were performed in Air Quality Maintenance Zones, with a failure rate of 6.9%. Cross-checking against the motorcycle periodic inspection database showed that 4,182 of
the motorcycles in question were subsequently brought in for re-inspection, giving a re-inspection rate of 77.9%. Of the motorcycles that underwent roadside inspection, 4,848 were older motorcycles (at least 10 years old); the completion rate in relation to these older motorcycles was 100.0%. In regard to the issuing of reminder notifications to the owners of motorcycles registered in Taipei City that had not been brought in for periodic inspection, a total of 240,000 second reminder notifications were sent out, along with 10,000 double-registered official reminder letters; the percentage of motorcycle owners responding to these reminders by bringing the motorcycle in for inspection was 44.6% and 56.3%
respectively.By comparison with the results obtained in Low Emission Zones in FY
2017, with regard to the older motorcycle “capture rate,” the capture rate was 16.8% in Low Emission Zones in FY 2017 and 4.4% in Air Quality Maintenance Zones in FY 2018; the capture rate had thus fallen by 12.2% percentage points compared to FY 2017. Regarding the roadside inspection failure rate, the failure rate was 16.9% in Low Emission Zones in FY 2017
and 6.9% in Air Quality Maintenance Zones in FY 2018; the failure rate had thus fallen by 10.0% compared to FY 2017. It was clear that there had been a significant decrease in the number of older motorcycles being ridden in Air Quality Maintenance Zones, and that the percentage of motorcycles that did not meet emissions criteria had fallen significantly. Linear source emissions coefficient calculations using the Environmental Protection
Administration's Taiwan Emissions Data System (TEDS) Version 7.1 showed that the improvement in air pollutant emissions from motorcycles that underwent roadside inspection and subsequent repairs can be estimated to equate to a reduction in carbon monoxide emissions of 32.73 tons per year, a reduction in hydrocarbon emissions of 20.98 tons per year.Following the promulgation of the amended Air Pollution Control Act on August 1, 2018, the Department of Environmental Protection, The Taipei Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau announced on November 2, 107 that the low-emission demonstration zone was abolished, and waited
for the announcement of the implementation rules of the Air Pollution Law,and then planned the air quality maintenance zone. Once the EPA has given its approval, the Department will be able to exercise effective control over Air Quality Maintenance Zones (for example, by prohibiting the use of highly-polluting motorcycles and imposing more rigorous emissions
standards). By effectively regulating the entry of highly-polluting motorcycles into Air Quality Maintenance Zones in this way, it will be possible to safeguard Taipei City’s air quality.
