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JAA to Slash Vehicular Pollution

By October 22, 2009No Comments
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Participants in the Clean Fleet Management Training seminar in Santiago,  Chile included (left to right) Duane Ellis of the JAA; Marlon Dietrich of the Jamaica Constabulary Force; Gianni Lopez of the Centro Mario Molina; and Alvin Mejias of the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities.
The Jamaica Automobile Association has targeted cuts in emissions  and fuel consumption in its fleet management  procedures, states Operations Manager, Duane Ellis.

The establishment of these targets was based on the adoption of a conceptual ‘toolkit’ produced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Mr. Ellis said this offers a methodology for analysing vehicular emissions and providing possible solutions to fleet management issues.

He was introduced to the concept at a Clean Fleet Management Training seminar in Santiago,  Chile, which was aimed at increasing awareness of the environmental  and health impacts created by vehicle emissions.  The leading motor club in Jamaica, in addition to its other operations, the JAA provides fleet management services for clients and for its own fleet of response vehicles.

“After completing the programme, I formulated a plan to implement the lessons I learned,” Mr. Ellis said.  The initial fleet management objectives identified are: a reduction in air pollutant by 20 percent, a cut in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 10 percent and fuel savings of 10 percent.

This reduction in the environmental impact of the 127 vehicles it manages, is to be achieved through driver education programmes to focus on ECO Driving and other driving techniques; driver incentive programmes; penalties for guideline breaches; and the use of GPS to monitor driving habits. He said there was a cost for implementing these processes, but this was expected to be recovered through the improved fuel efficiency which they offer.

“After using the UNEP toolkit to analyse the vehicles under our management, I was able to quantify our contribution to global vehicle emissions,” Mr. Ellis said. “I have also begun to pay close attention to the health impacts which are caused by our vehicular emissions, including pollutants such as carbon monoxide and particulate matter.”

A critical consideration is that the UNEP toolkit, “also shows us the tangible monetary savings which can result from taking better care of the environment,” he said. “The JAA has a total membership of 34,000, including other organisations which control fleets of vehicles, and we will be sharing the benefits of Eco Driving with them through a wider education programme.”

The Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles, together with Chile’s Centro Mario Molina, launched the UNEP Clean Fleet Management Approach in Latin America and the Caribbean with the first seminar in the region on 24-25th September in Santiago. Twenty-one public and private sector fleet managers from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica and Uruguay participated in the event.

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