Puerto Vallarta (PVDN) – Puerto Vallarta has the opinion that the air quality in the tourist destination isn’t nearly as bad as Guadalajara, therefore the city should be exempt from the recent law that went into effect that requires emissions tests in the state. Puerto Vallarta’s City Council prefers to wait until there is a pollution problem before requiring emissions, and they are considering the use of the National Guard to close the inspection center.
Puerto Vallarta’s desire to keep polluting vehicles on the streets of the city has set a standoff between the city and the state. The reason, the city’s closure of the emissions testing center, located on Av. Francisco Medina Ascencio, corner of Av. Las Palmas.
In the midst of citizen protests over the vehicle verification program on Saturday, which closed one of the city’s main roads and caused flight delays, the city closed the verification center to appease protestors, claiming the closure was due to the verification center not meeting the ‘beautification’ standards in the city building codes.
When the state reopened the verification center it created a confrontation between state police and city police when the municipal authority sought to close the place for the second time, but the state police prevailed and the verification center remained open.
The situation has continued to escalate and Puerto Vallarta councilors have established their position, even considering asking the National Guard for help in requesting their support in the possible closure of the city emissions testing center.
Councilor Pablo Ruperto Gómez Andrade, councilor of Puerto Vallarta, assured that “there are elements that allow the city council to close the center” and added that they seek to “make it clear to the State Government that this law, imposed unilaterally, and with an unsupported justification; they need to reflect on what the citizens are demanding. The demand is very clear: that Vallarta be left out of that scheme. “
Carla Verenice Esparza Quintero, also a councilor of the city council and who chairs the Tourism and Economic Development Building Commission, said “We are working legally. We are going to request the protection of the National Guard so that if they [state police] are there again and try to prevent us from closing the center, the guard will remove the state police.”
The protesters last Saturday indicated that if their request to suspend the verification for the inhabitants of Puerto Vallarta is ignored, the closures of Federal Highway 200 and the Ameca Bridge will continue, in the middle of Holy Week.
The State government claims the protests are by mechanics who used the old verification system for corrupt purposes and sold verification stickers without ever conducting vehicle tests and they want to return to the old system that allowed them to deal with verifications on the black market.
The purpose of vehicle emissions testing is to ensure that vehicles are not emitting excessive pollutants into the air, which can harm the environment and human health. Emissions testing measures the levels of harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter that are being emitted from a vehicle’s exhaust system.
By requiring vehicles to pass emissions tests, governments and regulatory bodies aim to reduce the overall amount of pollution that is released into the atmosphere. This can help to improve air quality and reduce the risk of health problems such as respiratory illnesses, heart disease, and cancer that are associated with exposure to pollutants.
In addition to protecting human health and the environment, emissions testing can also help to improve the performance and fuel efficiency of vehicles by identifying issues that may be causing excessive emissions. This can help drivers save money on fuel costs and reduce their carbon footprint.
Puerto Vallarta (PVDN) - The protesters last Saturday indicated that if their request to suspend the verification for the inhabitants of Puerto Vallarta is ignored, the . . .
