The National Environmental Agency recently revealed that vehicles, especially diesel powered ones, are just as pollutive as a few years ago. Are we backwards when compared to the western continents in embracing clean diesel technologies?

The figures say it all - 5,809 summons issued for emission-related offences for the first nine months of this year, compared to 6,381 in 2012 and 4,794 in the year before.

Though it is arguable that this year saw a slight reprieve from last year - with three months to go but 500 cases less - the current figure is still substantially more than that of 2011’s. The legal limit for vehicle emission in Singapore is 50 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU) - any vehicle caught exceeding the limit will be fined up to $5,000.

Many see it as a natural course of actions. Diesel vehicles are often perceived as being pollutive, loud and unrefined. But on hindsight, it can actually mean that our local nation has been dilatory in adopting clean diesel technologies.

We have spoken much about technological advancement in the field of combustion engines, especially those that run on diesel. The efficiency, refinement, and emission standard have been substantially improved, so much so that diesel engines have found their way into premium passenger cars. Diesel powered cars are particularly favoured over their petrol driven counterparts in the western continent.

Fear not, though, as a new rule will kick in starting next year - a smoke opacity test that requires diesel cars to score an emission result of 40 HSU and below, before their road tax can be renewed.