Vehicle emission control measures for environmental sustainability (pollution control) regulation: case of the Gambia

Abstract

According United Nations (UN), world urbanization and its resultant population growth have risenapproximately fivefold between 1950 to 2011 (from 0.75 Billion to 3.6 Billion). The Gambia’s population was61.27% higher as of 2018 the highest value over the past 58 years. The Gambia has a high level of urbanizationthrough the urban drift; Greater Banjul, Brikama areas carry 60% of the population. Similarly, motor vehicle activitycontinues on fast growth trajectory. Reports in 2018 showed that the Gambia ranked 170 ($22.5 Million) in vehicleimports in the world. Western and certain Eastern countries that are categorized as developed, enacted stronglegislation for the primary reduction of automobile emissions and enhanced better air quality. However, vehicularemission in developing countries including the Gambia has not received similar attention. Failure to controlvehicular emissions has been reported to result in significant effects on health levels (e.g., diseases related torespiration, the heart, cerebrovascular, severe obstructive pulmonary, lower respiratory infections, and cancers). Inspite of that, there is a significant increase in vehicle registration in the Gambia (i.e., 2.23 %) in 2013 for the last fiveyears, thus Gambia must have experienced a significant rise in daily traffic.