Fuel efficiency helps
tune up Pakistan

Low investment in railways, lack of inland waterways and the high cost of air transport have made Pakistan’s road transport system vital to the country’s economy and social structure. However many old and badly maintained vehicles are still in service producing higher levels of emissions than they would with the attention of properly trained, competent tune-up technicians.

The project – Fuel Efficiency in the Road Transport Sector – solely funded by a US$ 7 million GEF grant was designed to accrue economic, environmental and health benefits at regional, national and international level. Vehicle owners benefit from reduced fuel expenditures while jobs and business opportunities are created. At the national level, the oil import bill is minimized and at the global level, the project contributes to reducing GHG emissions. Reduced quantities of toxic chemicals, such as lead, carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide, provide health benefits especially for drivers, traffic police, children and residents of congested city areas.

The project’s strategies included public awareness campaigns; setting up demonstration computerized tune-up stations; providing training for garage owners and mechanics; providing a US$ 3 million revolving loan fund to help buy modern facilities; and developing new policies and laws on emissions standards.

The revolving loan fund helped support the market in its initial stages of growth by financing equipment purchase for approximately 25 diesel and 90 petrol tune-up stations. Since workshop owners in Pakistan do not generally have access to capital, the availability of credit helped accelerate private sector adoption of advanced engine diagnostic technologies. Re-payment periods ranged from three to five years.

The project build up the capacity of its implementing agency ENERCON (the National Energy Conservation Center) to plan and implement national private sector energy conservation projects, obtain better information on the status of the automotive industry and current maintenance practices, build a core capability of technical expertise in computerized engine analysis, and develop its position as the premier organization responsible for energy efficiency improvements in Pakistan’s road transport sector.

A network of 30 demonstration and training centres was set up in ten major cities around the country at which 1,396 participants were trained. Qualifying Trainees were awarded a certificate from UNDP, ENERCON and the National Institute of Science and Technical Education (NISTE) Islamabad. Two-day training workshops were conducted for automobile workshop owners, entrepreneurs and individual investors, who attended two-day courses while mechanics, received three weeks of training. Subjects covered issues such as vehicular emissions, environmental and health aspects, existing tune-up practices, introduction of state-of- the-art tune-up equipment with its features and benefits, cost benefit analysis, and establishing tune-up centers as a small business.

The awareness programmes encouraged female owner/drivers to act independently in using the services offered by the new tune up stations; offered in gender sensitivity training for workshop owners and mechanics and encouraged women to open road transport related businesses

The five-year project, which ended in 2002, organized a nation-wide publicity and awareness campaign to encourage drivers to use the new centres and tune-up their vehicles. It launched a website containing tips on economic driving, vehicle maintenance, tyre maintenance, wheel alignment and balancing, as well as diesel engine diagnostics. The project’s press conferences and advocacy drives were also used to promote other transport innovations such as non-polluting fuel cell technology vehicles.

In the final phase of the project the results of fifteen specialized studies covering all aspects of road transport and fuel efficiency were presented to the government of Pakistan to encourage policy changes and to guide future activities of the agencies involved in the road transport sector.