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Press
Releases - 1998
Government
is committed to abate air pollution
The Government
shares the public concern about the high API readings recorded
in the busy urban streets in recent days, and is committed
to abate the air pollution problem, Assistant Director of
Environmental Protection Mr Tse Chin-wan said today (Friday).
Apart
from stepping up the control of smoky vehicles in these areas,
Mr Tse said, the Government is looking into more ways to mitigate
air pollution in the busy urban streets.
"The
Government will work with the Provisional District Boards,
the transport trades and other relevant parties to see what
immediate measures can be taken to mitigate air pollution
whenever it builds up during unfavourable meteorological conditions,"
he said.
He said
the Government was fully aware that it is necessary to have
a comprehensive and long-term plan to tackle the issue of
air pollution.
"To combat
vehicle air pollution, the Government has tightened up several
times the vehicle fuel and emission standards in recent years.
"As a
result, Hong Kong is now at the same level as Europe and is
among the most stringent in Asia. The Government will continue
to introduce further stringent standards whenever they are
proven to be practicable," he said.
In addition,
Mr Tse said, the Government is also exploring a package of
new measures to deal with vehicle air pollution in a comprehensive
manner.
"We are
working on a long-term and comprehensive plan to deal with
air pollution. In addition to vehicle fuel and emission standards,
we are examining new technologies to test vehicle smoke, stepping
up vehicle inspection and studying the practicability of using
clean alternative fuel vehicles to replace diesel vehicles.
"We are
now at the final stage of the LPG taxi trial.
"Furthermore,
we are also addressing air quality at the transport strategy
level in the Third Comprehensive Transport Study," he said.
The Government
has also expressed the need to address the issue of air pollution
together with our adjacent cities in the long term. Hong Kong
has agreed with the Guangdong authorities to put up a joint
study to look into the air pollution problem in a regional
perspective as well as to consider joint action and plans
to prevent the air quality in the entire Pearl River Delta
Region from deterioration and to improve it.
End/Friday,
September 25, 1998
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