DSPA to enforce new pollutant limits for motorcycles and diesel vehicles in November

[Photo: Renato Marques]

The Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) will enforce stricter exhaust-emission limits for certain vehicle types starting November 1.

According to a statement from DSPA earlier this week, the new rules follow Chief Executive (CE) Dispatch No. 247/2026, which amends Tables 1 and 6 of Administrative Regulation No. 30/2016 (Emission Limits and Measurement Methods for Exhaust Pollutants from In-use Vehicles).

This time, the amendments tightened emission thresholds for motorcycles and diesel vehicles undergoing regular routine inspections.

The amendments introduce new limits on emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, with the latter targeting diesel-powered vehicles directly.

The policy aims to improve roadside air quality, protect public health, and support national carbon-peaking and carbon-neutrality goals (also called carbon double-goals) established in the Third Five-Year Plan of the Macau Special Administrative Region under its environmental protection chapter.

The DSPA also noted that, under the new rules, vehicle owners are encouraged to schedule regular maintenance and servicing to ensure compliance.

On November 1 last year, the CE also enforced a similar rule, imposing stricter exhaust emission limits, but at the time it targeted only motorcycles.

Although the rules apply to all types of motorcycles, the most affected by the reduction in the emissions ceiling for several gases are the two-stroke engines, which use gasoline and oil as fuel and, during combustion, release more gases than the more common four-stroke engines, in which the lubricant circulates through the engine parts separately from the fuel.

Even in four-stroke engines, aged motors with significant wear are more likely to mix lubricant into the combustion chamber, causing higher emissions.

In previous years, the DSPA launched several plans that provided subsidies to vehicle owners who traded in their old motorcycles for a new electric model.