|
Letter to the Editor of SCMP - Response to the commentary on roadside pollution (March 6)
Mr. Gilbert wrote on March 6 to Talkback that the Government should target at smoky diesel vehicles instead of petrol and LPG vehicles to reduce roadside air pollution.
The Government has been taking strong actions against smoky diesel vehicles. Firstly, we have been running a smoky vehicle control programme, which has over 4000 voluntary spotters. The reported smoky vehicle will have to rectify the smoke problem within 14 working days. Vehicles failing to do so will have their licences cancelled. Secondly, the fixed penalty for smoky vehicles has been more than doubled to $1,000 since 2000. Thirdly, the Transport Department will not renew a vehicle’s licence if the vehicle cannot pass its smoke test. It has already strengthened the smoke test procedures by checking also engine speed and the supervision of the execution of the test. The above efforts have borne fruits. As compared with 1999, the number of smoky vehicles has been reduced by about 80%.
Apart from tackling smoky diesel vehicles, we managed to replace nearly all diesel taxis with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) taxis and over half of the diesel light buses with LPG light buses by providing owners with one-off grants. Legislation has been enacted to mandate the installation of particulate emission reduction devices in pre-Euro diesel vehicles with effect from April 2007. Hong Kong’ s vehicle emission and fuel standards are on a par with those of the European Union. As a result of these measures, the roadside air quality has been substantially improved with the respirable suspended particulates and the nitrogen oxides levels reduced by 13% and 19% respectively in 2006, as compared with 1999.
The Government will take every practical step to clean up the air pollution at the roadside. The proposal to strengthen the emission control of in-use petrol and LPG vehicles is just one of a number of additional measures that we will take to further improve roadside air quality. Starting from 1 April 2007, we will provide a one-off $3.2 billion grant to encourage the early replacement of pre-Euro and Euro I diesel commercial vehicles by new Euro IV commercial vehicles, and will offer first registration tax concession to petrol cars that emit fewer pollutants and consume less fuel. We will also start soon the consultation for banning idling vehicles.
(W. C. Mok)
Principal Environmental Protection Officer
for Director of Environmental Protection
|
