Vehicle utilization program to unload motor roads

/By Azernews/

By Nigar Abbasova

A problem of disused and abandoned cars is becoming more and more relevant in the country given their rising number. The issue necessitates development of a state program on the utilization of old vehicles.

Being an eyesore, junk vehicles generate significant economic, environmental and social problems as well as encourage other forms of anti-social behavior.

Abandoned vehicles may result in a wide variety of problems as it may be used as shelters by the homeless, attract vandals, as well as be used in illegal auto repair and sales.

The problem may also cause hazardous waste dumping as some vehicle parts may contain deleterious substances which threaten the heath.

In certain cases the cars may pose a nuisance to the residents of area as they take up a certain space and restrict access. One of the other problems is that such type of cars is very attractive for children.

Commenting on the issue Vagif Asadov, the head of the Public Relations Department of the Baku City Traffic Police Department noted that the development of the state program will profit the capital city and contribute to the elimination of the high load of motor roads, Day.az reports.

“Development of the state program is not excluded. The number of old cars on Baku roads is not small and there is a necessity for gradual update in the auto park,” he said, adding that along with posing hazards to ecological situation malfunctioning vehicles also create emergency situations and provoke traffic accidents.

Iskender Guliyev, the head of “Struggle against illegal parking” social movement in his turn said that disused cars can be seen at every turn including streets, yards and even roads. “The cars not only spoil the look of streets and roads but also threaten traffic safety and troubles movement of pedestrians.”

Foreign countries take different measures to tackle the problems associated with abandoned vehicles. Russia, for instance, successfully implements the program on utilization. The owner may get a certain amount of money or receive a discount for the purchase of a new vehicle while discarding the old one.

Guliyev mentioned that the program stipulates encouraging the replacement of old cars by new ones thus supporting the development of the country’s automobile industry as well as upgrade traffic security and improve ecologic situation. He underlined that the development of the program in Azerbaijan is worthwhile.

The country has already taken certain steps to eliminate the problem in this sphere. The new rules envisage the import of latest models of cars. The rules ensure reducing the volume of noxious exhaust gases. Most of the customers prefer new cars lacking the number of kilometres travelled.

The country switched to the Euro-4 ecological standard in 2014.The Euro-4 ecological standard is applied to vehicles imported and manufactured in Azerbaijan to reduce the emission of vehicle pollutants into the atmosphere and improve the environmental situation in the country.

Following this, the flow of cars manufactured in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 into the country has been terminated. The Euro-4 standard forbids the import of cars from the EU manufactured prior to 2005, 2004 in the U.S., 2011 in China and Japan, 2006 in Korea, and 2009 in Turkey.