"Cleaning up the air involves everybody," the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Gordon Siu said today (Saturday).
Presenting the document 'Clean Air for Hong Kong' which sets out the full range of actions being taken to tackle air pollution and a series of measures directed mainly at the vehicle fleet, Mr Siu said it shows how every sector of the community can help to reduce air pollution.
"Road transport is the main threat to healthy air at the moment. Our immediate action plan is therefore directed at them," he said.
Noting that Hong Kong faces problems with air pollution at street level, with ambient air and with the regional problem, Mr Siu said that the street level problem is the most acute and most direct threat to the health of every citizen, and that is where we are putting our priority for action.
Among the measures to reduce emissions, many of them are directed at the diesel fleet, which accounts for 30 per cent of vehicles in Hong Kong.
Franchised bus companies have agreed to install diesel catalysts on some 2,000 buses that do not meet the latest Euro II emission standards. This will reduce emissions from individual buses by up to 50 per cent.
The Government is working closely with the trade to ensure that all taxis will convert from diesel fuel to Liquefied Petroleum Gas. It will become mandatory for new taxis from the end of 2000. Particulate traps will be developed to reduce emission from the remaining diesel taxis before they convert to LPG.
During the second half of this year, the Transport Department will extend to Eastern, Kwun Tong, Yuen Long, Tsuen Wan and Tai Po the programme to reduce the number of bus stops so as to reduce congestion, improve traffic flow and reduce emissions.
Over the past months, a total of 1,730 stops per hour have been reduced at Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay in peak hour.
For light diesel vehicles, the Government is working with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to develop the prototype of particulate traps they have made that can be installed on all categories of light diesel vehicles.
For heavy diesel vehicles, the Government will use suitable vehicles in the Government fleet to test out catalysts that can be used by different types of heavy vehicles. All Government heavy vehicle fleet will be fitted with suitable catalysts within three years.
Major education efforts targeted at professional drivers and at the motor vehicle maintenance trade are being launched. The Government is also launching new programmes to educate every section of the community about what they can do to help tackle air pollution.
On the enforcement side, the Police and Environmental Protection Department (EPD) are stepping up action against smoky vehicles.
EPD is going to expand its smoky vehicle spotter scheme and recruit 300 additional spotters per year. The Customs and Excise Department is increasing enforcement against vehicles using illegal motor fuel and against suppliers of illegal fuel.
To help improve maintenance standard, emissions testing centres will use advanced dynamometer smoke test for light duty vehicles from September this year and for heavy duty vehicles next year.
To abate air pollution by legislation, the Government will put before the Legislative Council proposals for an increase in the level of fines for smoky vehicle offences, and for a scheme to control idling engines.
An action group headed by the Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau will be set up to identify areas of the city which are badly affected by street level pollution that could benefit from pedestrianisation or restricted access schemes.
It will develop proposals and provide support to District Boards and local communities to turn the ideas into practical schemes.
To set a good example in how road vehicles are used, the Government is launching a comprehensive review of the use of vehicles throughout Government.
There will be a freeze on additional vehicle purchases imposed and opportunities are taken to use the Government fleet to try out new technologies.
"Working with Guangdong to secure co-ordinated action to deal with the regional air quality issue is a major task. Joint studies are being conducted to determine the causes of air pollution in the region and to identify solutions to the problems," he said.
End/Saturday, June 5, 1999
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