Ministry fines car importers over pollution data

Several vehicle importers to face fines totaling NIS 1.5 m. for publishing car ads that lacked air pollution data.

By SHARON UDASIN
Toyota Prius cars 370 (photo credit: Courtsey of Toyota )
Toyota Prius cars 370
(photo credit: Courtsey of Toyota )
The Environmental Protection Ministry will be fining several vehicle importers a total of NIS 1.5 million for publishing car advertisements that lacked air pollution data, the office announced on Sunday.
This is the second year that the ministry is imposing such fines as a result of failures to disclose proper air pollution data on car advertisements.
Each importer will be receiving fines worth hundreds of thousands of shekels, and some were previous violators, according to the ministry.
In keeping with the Clean Air Law, any new car advertisement must include fuel consumption figures as well as data demonstrating degree of contamination, the ministry added.
“The car buyer has the right to receive complete information about the vehicle, including how much fuel it consumers and how it pollutes,” said Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan. “We will continue to work to make importers meet this obligation without concealing important information from the public.”
Mayer’s Cars and Trucks published on its website an advertisement for the Jaguar XF that failed to show pollution levels. Because this importer previously violated the law, the company received a nearly double penalty this year of NIS 442,000; the highest single penalty is NIS 221,300. Likewise, Shir Shlomo Car Importers received the same fine as a repeat offender, after this time publishing an ad for an Opel Corsa that included neither air pollution nor fuel consumption data, the Environmental Protection Ministry said.
The other three offenders received single fines of NIS 221,300 each, and among them was Universal Motors Corporation, guilty of publishing a newspaper ad for a Cadillac SRX Crossover and CTS coupe without pollution levels. Meanwhile, Sigma Motors Agency advertised at the Jerusalem Central Bus Station for the Chevrolet Cruze Turbo without pollution data, and Mediterranean Cars Agency followed suit in a newspaper ad for an Alfa Romeo Alfa Giulietta, the ministry said.