KUWAIT: Well-informed sources said the traffic department made a recommendation to the government to ban vehicles older than 10 years from the roads; a recommendation which has been seconded by the Environment Public Authority with the aim of resolving traffic congestions. The sources added that EPA believes that banning such vehicles will also limit pollution and carbon and other hazardous emissions. "The recommendation is not new," the sources stressed, reminding that it was made a few years ago but was not discussed by the Cabinet.

The sources explained that putting this recommendation into practice will not be an easy task for various reasons, such as a possible 50 percent drop in the spare parts business, but argued that such a justification is not warranted because even new vehicles might need spare parts after a year of use.

The sources also noted that the recommendation might go into effect if public transport was used more often and the metro project is executed. "The traffic department believes that decisive decisions have to be made about old vehicles because they pose a problem on the streets," the sources concluded, reiterating that the recommendation was submitted to the Cabinet.

By A Saleh and Agencies