Objectives

Make the Air More Breathable, Fight Climate Change and Support Modal Transfer

1998 or Earlier-Model Vehicles Produce Up to 39 Times More Polluting Emissions than 2004 or Later-Model Year Vehicles.

The Clear the Air! program’s key objectives are as follows:

 
• increasing air quality;
 
• fighting climate change and improving energy efficiency;
 
• modal transfer to sustainable transportation, and promotion of mass transit and other non-polluting means of transportation;
 
• education and awareness-raising;
 
• reinforcing social acceptability of a compulsory light motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program (LMVIMP PIEVA) in Quebec;
 
• eco-friendly vehicle recycling through respect of the National Practice Code for vehicle recycling firms that take part in the national old vehicle scrapping program.

Originally, the objective consisted in removing 10,000 vehicles per year from Quebec roads. Thanks to Quebecers’ active participation, double that objective was reached in the space of only a year, from June, 2009 to June, 2010, and this scrapping rate was maintained from June, 2010 to March, 2011!  The goal for the 2011-2012 year is now 20,000 vehicles or more.

From an environmental standpoint, the program intends to shrink greenhouse gas emissions, increase air quality and protect the environment by urging Quebecers and Canadians to permanently get rid of their old polluting road-goers and have them recycled responsibly. Vehicles built in the 1998 model year or earlier pollute up to 39 times more than 2004 or later-model year vehicles.  Automotive pollution contributes to creating smog and is thus at the root of numerous community health problems.

Almost 600,000 vehicles built in 1998 or earlier still run on Quebec roads.  They make up around 10% of the complete Quebec automotive population, but are responsible for a larger portion of the total pollution created by the entire automotive population. This is why the Clear the Air! program focuses on these aging vehicles.