|
Press
Release
Drivers
are urged to wait green
The Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) today (September 1) launched the
"Wait Green - Engine Off" campaign to promote turning off
idling engines.
Speaking
at the pledging ceremony, the Director of Environmental Protection,
Mr Rob Law, said although the roadside air quality had shown
improvement after the introduction of a series of clean air
programmes, the problem of idling engines remained a concern.
"Wait
Green - Engine Off" campaign encourages motorists to switch
off vehicle engines while waiting as the exhaust from an idling
engine causes nuisances to the people and shops nearby.
"Switching
off idling engines will promote better air quality, save fuel
and money, and lengthen the usable life of vehicles," he said.
The EPD
hosted a day of celebration at the Tamar site to see pledges
from the transport trade drivers and private motorists to
switch off engines while waiting.
In the
pledging ceremony, Mr Law and the Commissioner for Transport,
Mr Robert Footman, used a giant ignition key to symbolically
switch off old attitudes of engine idling.
Some
200 motor vehicle drivers including representatives from commercial
fleets of taxis, buses, vans and trucks demonstrated their
support for cleaner air by pledging to switch off their engines
while parked or waiting.
Following
the ceremony, some 90 environmental protection ambassadors
from the Junior Police Call, the Scout Association of Hong
Kong and the Hong Kong Girl Guides Association distributed
green labels to drivers in Central, Admiralty, Causeway Bay,
Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom.
The EPD
has issued guidelines on switching off idling engines for
different classes of vehicles. Drivers are urged to carefully
read the relevant guidelines and be familiar with the situations
under which they are expected to turn the engines off.
End/Saturday,
September 1, 2001
| 
