Alternative Automobile Pollution Control Policies: Perspective of Motorists in Owerri Municipal of Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Literature indicates that present policies on environmental protection tend to impose cumbersome and rigid regulations which are often highly uneconomic for all stakeholders in pollution abatement. The reason is that the role of the tax system as a deterrent and motivator of behaviour, economic penalties or a combination of these approaches seem not have been adequately studied prior to formulation of policies and promulgation of legislations for environmental pollution abatement. This research therefore was designed to investigate the perception of motorists in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State on the utilization of economic incentives or penalties as policy alternatives to encourage abatement of automobile pollution. The cross sectional survey design was adopted for the study. To achieve the research goal, a comprehensive questionnaire was developed and administered to two hundred and nine motorists in the survey area. The random sampling method was used to select the subjects from three out of the five communities in Owerri Municipal. One hundred and twenty four questionnaires were duly completed and used for the analysis. The major finding of this study was that the subjects provided a consensus response that requires passage and strict enforcement of laws requiring automobile importers to import only cars which meet antipollution standards. It was therefore concluded that automobile emission control failures can only be resolved by automobile manufacturers and importers. It was thus recommended that Air Resources Commission should be established in Nigeria with the responsibility of regulating emissions from all fueled and gasoline burn engines imported into the country, while importers whose automobiles pass emission tests should be given free tax.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2013.v3n4p9