Eastleigh MP sees Emission Testers in Action

6.54.22pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 19th Jul 2006

Chris Huhne MP with Cllr Louise Bloom, Eastleigh cabinet member for the environment and Cllr David Airey, Eastleigh cabinet member for transport and the Dept of Transport team).

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne was on hand this week to see the vehicle emissions testing unit at work off Southampton Road, one of the busiest routes to Eastleigh town centre.

But the testers from the Department of Transport could not test Chris's own car, as it is a petrol-electric hybrid that does not emit any exhaust when stationery.

"Emissions testing is a practical way to alert motorists to problems with the burn of their engine, which is bad for fuel economy and also for the environment as it burns even more fossil fuel for a given mileage. It is also bad for local air quality particularly on hot days. Vehicle exhausts react with sunlight to create ozone, which is toxic.

"I was delighted that the tests took place off the Southampton Road, which past air quality monitoring has shown to be one of the worst pollution black spots in the area due to slow moving and stationary traffic spewing out exhaust fumes" said Chris.

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