Let's clean up our act!
Published:Sunday | November 28, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU: AS SOME of the biggest names in auto manufacturing shy away from Jamaica's poor quality fuel, ATL Automobile's deputy chairman, Adam Stewart has called on government to clean up the mess or face imminent devastation of the environment.
Speaking at the opening of the multi-million dollar ATL Automobile store at Bogue City Centre, Montego Bay, last Friday night, Stewart, who carries some of the world's finest superbrands - Audi, Volkswagen, Land Rover, Range Rover, Jaguar and Honda, sent a clear message that clean fuel was necessary to access the latest technology.
"Because Jamaica's fuel is so bad, several of the large auto-makers limit the technology that comes into the country," added the ATL deputy chairman.
His argument is backed by German automaker Audi, which ran a test recently and reported that the sulfur content that is present is 5,000 parts per million in both gasolene and diesel used in Jamaica, in comparison to 50 parts per million in Bogota, Colombia.
As of 2006, almost all of the petroleum-based diesel fuel available in Europe and North America is Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel (USDL) type says research on Wikipedia.com.
The move to lower sulfur content is expected to allow the application of newer emissions control technologies that should sub-stantially lower emissions of particulate matter from diesel engines.
Rejected and outdated
The situation is compounded by the importation of rejected and outdated technology vehicles that Japan no longer wants. "Japan does not want these cars because they have become environmentally unfriendly," argues Stewart.
"We are taking all the rejects, and so the import duties need to be based on the actual emissions," he said.
Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Karl Samuda, who was among the large group of Government ministers in attendance concurred.
"We couldn't as a government allow a company to make this type of investment and languish because of the fuel in Jamaica," said Minister Samuda.
ATL has pumped US$4.5 million into a new-car high-tech facility.
Promising to meet with the ministers of mining and finance and planning and the leaders of the automobile industry, urgently, the government official said there was a need for a new motor vehicle policy.
He noted that the rest of the world had gone from Euro 1 to Euro 2, while Jamaica had stayed behind importing poor quality fuel. "It's my job to protect the consumers of this country", he argued.
In the meantime Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Charles Sinclair and the rest of western Jamaica are lauding the move by ATL. The move is in sync with Montego Bay's exponential growth and the need to meet the requests of some 20-25 per cent of the Honda customers who are currently based in the western region. It is estimated that the car market in the west is about 30-35 per cent and growing.
The city is currently home to several used-car dealers, and in the past was a base for John Crook and Northern Industrial Garage.
"ATL has now almost done the unthinkable, which is to bring the best of Europe to the City of Montego Bay," boasted Mayor Sinclair.
He added: "The Mountain has been brought to Mohammed".
Describing the initiative as timely, Mayor Sinclair said with the opening of the store, the Bogue Road expansion programme is now complete.
ATL superstore is located on the border of the Bogue industrial corridor.