The Punjab government has planned to install Vehicle Emission Scanning Systems at nine major entry and exit points of Lahore.
The technology will remotely scan exhaust emissions from moving vehicles without requiring them to stop.
Remote-sensing equipment will measure pollutants released from vehicle exhaust as they pass through designated monitoring points.
Authorities will also capture key information including vehicle registration numbers, speed, acceleration and scanning time. The data will help identify vehicles generating unusually high levels of emissions through a scientific monitoring process.
The initiative is part of efforts to convert Lahore’s major entry and exit routes into smart environmental monitoring points, allowing large-scale screening of vehicles without interrupting traffic.
Unlike conventional emission tests, the new system will assess vehicles while they are being driven in actual road and traffic conditions, providing a more representative picture of their emissions.
Punjab Environment Secretary Salwat Saeed has called for greater use of modern technology to improve the monitoring and regulation of vehicular emissions.
She said the system would facilitate evidence-based identification of high-emission vehicles, while reliable emissions data would support stronger enforcement of environmental regulations.
Salwat Saeed stated that technology-based monitoring would broaden the department’s surveillance capabilities, improve enforcement and help authorities establish real-world patterns of vehicle-related pollution in Lahore.
Vehicles found to be emitting excessive pollutants can subsequently be subjected to detailed testing and possible legal action.
Authorities will also deploy Portable Emission Measurement Systems to conduct in-depth checks on selected vehicles and verify remote-sensing results. The portable equipment will measure emissions continuously while vehicles are operating on roads.
A specialised Vehicle Emission Testing Unit will also be established within the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support the scanning programme.
The project is being developed under the Lahore Air Improvement Framework and will provide modern monitoring of vehicle emissions at the city’s major entry and exit routes.
The system will generate real-world emissions data while accounting for factors such as vehicle speed, acceleration, engine load and prevailing traffic conditions.
Officials expect the technology-based approach to strengthen vehicular emission monitoring, environmental enforcement and air-quality management across Lahore.
