AirCare

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AirCare is a vehicle emissions testing program in place in the Lower Mainland including the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Fraser Valley Regional District of British Columbia. Drivers in these areas are required to demonstrate that their vehicle has recently passed an emissions test before they are permitted to renew their auto insurance. Auto insurance is mandatory for all vehicles operated on public roads throughout British Columbia. The program is administered by a subsidiary of TransLink, Pacific Vehicle Testing Technologies Ltd. The actual testing is carried out by Envirotest Canada, a Canadian subsidiary of ESP Global. Currently, vehicles manufactured before 1992 require testing yearly; newer vehicles are tested every 2 years up to the 2000 model year. However, the newer cars are charged twice the fee than the older cars. Those that are the 2002 model year and up are currently exempt from inspection.

AirCare tests vehicles for the following regulated pollutants: Hydrocarbons (HC), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and diesel particulate. They further claim to reduce the production of Carbon Dioxide as the repairs for cars that fail often also improves fuel economy. Each vehicle type and model year has its own pass/fail criteria based on the emission standards at the time the vehicle was built.

The program has claimed significant success in reducing air pollution, but has been criticized for needlessly-frequently retesting newer and cleaner vehicles to subsidize the cost of testing the older and dirtier vehicles that are the bigger polluters.

The other main criticism is related to spending, the amount of money spent doing the testing is quite significant and it is argued that if this money could be better spent if it was used to directly reduce pollution through old car buy backs, incentives to buy less polluting cars, or a directed testing program aimed at the worst polluters. However, it is much more palatable for most drivers to pay money for a service (testing their vehicle) than it would be for a fee that is seen as benefiting others (those who qualify for the incentives).

The AirCare Program is a for profit venture of ESP Global which has received Provincial Government backing to administer the Emissions Program. Under this agreement ESP/Envirotest Canada are promised a guaranteed profit of at least 9% of revenue. The revenue and auditing of the program are handled by PVTT which takes in all revenue, takes its operating costs out and passes the rest of the sum on to ESP while also ensuring the sum includes at least 9% profit. PVTT and Translink are expected to make up any shortfalls in revenue that make occur with the recent testing price cut which will put further strain on BC taxpayers.