The deal reached between KSA authorities and 78 car manufacturers and importers to display fuel efficiency on each vehicle for sale is a step in the right direction.
However, it needs to be followed up by further steps to also display CO2 and other exhaust emissions per kilometer.
Pollution is the other negative side-effect of consuming fuel on a large scale.
That should also be tackled with the same urgency as dealing with excessive use of fuel.
Fuel is cheap in Saudi Arabia not because it is relatively tax-free compared to fuel in other countries, but because it is subsidized.
These subsidies have created an environment in which citizens and expatriates do not recognize the importance of conserving fuel — and energy in general.
The transport sector is responsible for about 23 percent of the total energy consumption in the Kingdom.
Passenger cars account for 82 percent of fleets in the country, which consist of 12 million vehicles, and consume about 811,000 barrels of gasoline and diesel per day.
The Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization said the signing of the agreements would help reduce consumption in the road transport sector by 25,025 barrels.
Analysts predict that there would be more than 26 million vehicles on the Kingdom’s roads by 2030, with daily consumption of gasoline and diesel increasing to more than 1.8 million barrels.
After stressing with car companies the requirement for displaying vital statistics of motorcars as a matter of law, there are further steps to improve and rationalize car use in the Kingdom.
Two needed steps are regulations for maximum emission allowed in each car class and removal of most fuel subsidies.
If consumers pay the real cost of fuel, they would recognize the importance of reducing their fuel and carbon footprint.
Also, this would encourage private investment in cleaner fuels and alternative technologies.
-------------------
* Adel Murad is a senior motoring and business journalist, based in London.
Email: [email protected]
