The Inspection of LPG Fueled Vehicles is a Public Responsibility

Regulations that make the market irregular by eliminating the control and control of LPG vehicles should be canceled and regulations that protect the public / public interest should be made.

Article 04.11.2020 of the "Regulation on the Amendment of the Regulation on the Protection of Buildings from Fire" published in the Official Gazette dated 31294 and numbered 60 was amended, and the parking of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) fuel vehicles in closed parking lots under certain conditions was allowed. While the regulations including the conditions for parking in parking lots are made in the regulation, no changes have been made to the conversion, modification, control and traceability of vehicles and other relevant legislation that endangers the life and property safety of the people and leads to uncontrolled. The regulation on car parks is positive as it is, but it is incomplete as long as the other legislation remains in this way, and its implementation as such means the continuation of the risk of life and property safety.

According to TURKSTAT's statistics on motor vehicles for January 2019, 12 percent of 437 million 250 thousand 37,8 cars registered in traffic in our country have 4 million 703 thousand 163 LPG vehicles. In short, LPG vehicles are widely used. In this respect, Turkey Italy, Poland, South Korea, Australia followed. Although the understanding and legislation regarding the purchase of LPG-powered vehicles in parking lots differ, the most important issue is in the ECE R-1958 Regulation published by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN / AEK) within the framework of the 67 Geneva Agreement; “I. combustion systems Approval of special equipment of motor vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas, ii. for using liquefied petroleum gas in combustion systems Provisions regarding the approval of a vehicle fitted with special equipment for the installation of such equipment"The first condition is to have the standard requirements in accordance with the e.

ECE R-67 Regulation and ECE R 115 Regulation; Including the system that prevents sudden gas discharges in case of temperature increase during fire in closed parking lots and automatically prevents filling the LPG tank above 85 percent, periodically inspecting the vehicles from 100 points and keeping records of LPG tanks obligatory every 10 years and used or the use of unsuitable tanks.

However, with a legislative amendment made by the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology in 2017 (Regulation on the Amendment to the Regulation on the Production, Modification and Assembly of Vehicles published in the Official Gazette dated 24.07.2017 and numbered 30106), the gas tightness control of LPG vehicles and the It is left to the initiative of the companies that will convert to use with LPG fuel. Companies can prepare the assembly detection report, which is the last process for this transformation. With this arrangement conversion and inspection is completely under the initiative (statement!) of the companies that repair the vehicles or change the vehicle fuel system. has been left. thus market formation without control and supervision the road is opened; Gas tightness control of LPG vehicles by independent institutions and organizations, especially TMMOB Chamber of Mechanical Engineers These vehicles have been left uncontrolled since then, the property and life safety of the people ignored. Converting vehicles go directly to vehicle inspection stations and only go to traffic by checking gas leakage and it cannot be checked whether these vehicles meet the requirements of ECE R-67 and ECE R 115 Regulations.

However, what needs to be done in terms of the life and property safety of the people and public order is clear:

• By fulfilling its duty of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, as in previous periods Leakage Controls of LPG vehicles by accredited institutions and organizations should restore.
• To be done on vehicles The conversion and modification is certainly certified by the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers and can be followed in accordance with the project designed by Engineers should be.
• "LPG Impermeability" should be removed from being a "slight defect" in Vehicle Inspections. An effective gas tightness control and a period of at least 1 year must be provided. The procedures and principles regarding the control of these tools should be rearranged, keeping in mind that supervision is a public responsibility.
• The suitability of the car parks and the periodic control of the relevant equipment, with a public understanding, by the public or by the authorized institutions in the form of a public institution. It should be done.
• In addition, LPG vehicles Conformity in terms of conversion and sealing should be traceableis a "system that can ensure compliance traceability and periodic maintenance.LPG Vehicle Tracking System”Must be installed. This system should be able to control and ensure that suitable vehicles enter the appropriate places.
• Level of LPG tanks and conversion systems to ECE 67.01 Technical regulation and Control of existing LPG vehicles must be provided.
• In the arrangements to be made by the authorized and appointed institutions and organizations people's life and property security must be taken into consideration.
• Unless these conditions are met and the necessary technical arrangements are made in the parking lots The implementation of the regulation issued by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization regarding the purchase of LPG vehicles in parking garages should be abandoned.

Murat KÜREKCI
Head of Kocaeli Branch of UCTEA Chamber of Mechanical Engineers