Pollution from motor vehicles remains the biggest challenge to ambient air quality. With the continued deterioration in operating conditions of the passenger rail network, many commuters have been forced to rely upon private or public motorized transport. This has further worsened congestion on the road network, but has also resulted in an increase in vehicular emissions.

‘A number of air quality monitoring stations have recorded increased levels of nitrogen oxide (NOx), which supports the contention that vehicle emissions are on the rise. While these NOx levels are below the ambient air quality standards, it remains a cause for concern and highlights the urgent need for an efficient, well-maintained and fully functional passenger rail network,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.

Cape Town’s air quality complies with the annual average ambient air quality standards. Periodic episode days do occur where the daily ambient standards have been exceeded. In the last financial year, 13 episode days were recorded. The pollutant that most frequently exceeds the standards is particulate matter (PM10), with occasional episodes where ground-level ozone exceeds allowable limits.

The severe drought experienced over the last three years has also contributed to these PM10 episodes, leading to an increase in windblown dust and also exacerbating the incidence of veld fires.

The City has a range of monitoring and evaluation systems and processes to detect and act on air pollution. This includes an air quality monitoring network that is managed by the Scientific Services Air Quality Laboratories. The network consists of 40 analysers at 14 ambient air quality monitoring stations located across the city. Currently, a process is under way to replace ageing analysers, with City Health providing R3,7 million towards the replacement cost over a three-year period.

Two years ago, the City also installed a high-powered camera monitoring network on the antennae located on Tygerberg Hills. The Air Quality Management Unit has access to live feeds from this network which allows for remote monitoring of dark smoke emissions.

The City’s Air Quality Management Unit also has a Diesel Vehicle Emissions Testing Programme to ensure that heavy-duty diesel vehicles comply with the prescribed emission rates. In the last financial year, 8 262 vehicles were tested with a failure rate of below one percent. This programme helps ensure that vehicle fleet operators maintain their vehicles in a sound and compliant operating condition.

Environmental management inspectors of the City’s Air Quality Management Unit routinely conduct compliance and enforcement audits of listed activities in terms of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act.

‘By and large, industries are generally compliant. However, administrative enforcement actions are embarked upon where industries fail to ensure full compliance with licence conditions. The aim of these actions is first and foremost to ensure environmental protection; and secondly, they bring non-complying industries back into compliance. With a maximum fine of five million rand for a first offence prescribed by legislation, and the fact that company Directors can be held personally accountable, we find that this is a big enough deterrent to ensure good levels of compliance,’ added Alderman Smith.

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