A major change that would have added a new step for Bexar County drivers before registering their vehicles has been put on hold after the Environmental Protection Agency delayed a new emissions testing requirement.
The testing was supposed to begin Nov. 1 and would have required drivers to check their vehicles for pollution-related problems before registration.
But after Bexar County leaders traveled to Washington to raise concerns about the cost to drivers, the EPA granted a stay, pausing the requirement.
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Under the proposed testing, starting November 1, Bexar County drivers would be required to have their vehicles pass an annual emissions inspection.
The reaction has been intense. Some drivers see it as another fee. Others question whether checking passenger cars will make any meaningful difference in San Antonio’s air quality.
Some have gone further, arguing that emissions programs are little more than government mandates that cost motorists money without actually cleaning the air.
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Under the proposal, drivers in Bexar County would need to make sure their ‘check engine’ lights are not on to pass mandatory emissions testing.
The rule requires that the test must be passed to be able to renew your vehicle’s annual registration sticker.
The emissions testing applies to gas-powered vehicles that are two to 24 years old. The testing will measure a vehicles level of gases, check the catalytic converter, evaporative emissions control system, gas cap, and the check engine light.