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Press
Release
Measures
to improve air quality progressing well
In response
to media enquiries, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection
Department (EPD) said today (November 16) that the comprehensive
programme of clean air measures is making good progress.
The Government
has set a target to reduce 80 per cent of respirable suspended
particulates and 30 per cent of nitrogen oxides emitted from
motor vehicles by end-2005.
At present,
75 per cent of the diesel taxis, or 13 500 in number, have
been replaced by ones that run on liquefied petroleum gas.
Eighty
per cent of the pre-Euro light diesel vehicles have been retrofitted
with particulate reduction devices.
Ultra
low sulphur diesel (ULSD) is the only motor diesel available
at all petrol filling stations replacing conventional diesel.
All franchised
buses have been using ULSD since last February and Euro III
emission standard is being applied to newly registered vehicles
in step with the European Union.
The Government
will start a programme to retrofit 48 000 older heavy diesel
vehicles with catalysts and determine the way forward on alternative-fuel
light buses.
Compared
with 1999, the levels of respirable suspended particulates
and nitrogen dioxide reduced by eight per cent and six per
cent respectively in 2000. The number of smoky vehicles on
our roads has reduced by half.
"We expect
further improvements in the years to come as the various improvement
measures continue," the spokesman noted.
On the
findings of a study related to air pollution released today
by the Department of Community Medicine of the University
of Hong Kong (HKU), the spokesman said that the epidemiological
study investigates the broad statistical relationship between
mortality rates and hospital admissions with air pollution
levels, meteorology, people's behaviour, etc.
Findings
of the study are by and large consistent with the findings
of other similar studies overseas. Last year, the Basel University
of Switzerland published their findings on the percentage
of premature deaths per year that could be due to air pollution
in Austria, France and Switzerland. The percentage is comparable
to the findings of the HKU study for Hong Kong.
"The
findings have re-confirmed the need for the actions we have
already taken and are taking to improve air quality in Hong
Kong.
"We note
the concern raised in the study about dependence on roads
and vehicular traffic. The Government's transport policy is
to provide transport infrastructure and services in an environmentally
acceptable manner to ensure the sustainable development of
Hong Kong," the spokesman added.
Priority
is being given to the development of railways to make them
the backbone of our transport system.
About
$100 billion has been committed to six new railways for completion
between 2002 and 2007.
The Government
will invest another $100 billion to complete six additional
projects between 2008 and 2016.
End/Friday,
November 16, 2001
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