The environment secretary noted that these petrol and L.P.G. vehicle owners should properly maintain their vehicles to reduce emissions and ensure their compliance with the new emissions control requirement that is expected to come into force next month.
Hong Kong’s Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing appealed to petrol and liquefied petroleum gas vehicle owners to reduce their emissions and comply with upcoming policy.
The environment secretary noted that these petrol and L.P.G. vehicle owners should properly maintain their vehicles to reduce emissions and ensure their compliance with the new emissions control requirement that is expected to come into force next month.
Mr. Wong pointed out that improving air quality is a priority among the Hong Kong Government’s policy objectives and that roadside air quality is an area of particular concern.
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In line with this, Hong Kong will further improve roadside air quality by strengthening emissions control for petrol and L.P.G. vehicles through the use of roadside remote sensing equipment to identify vehicles with excessive emissions starting this September 1.
Under the upcoming policy that will come into force in September, owners of vehicles that are found to have excessive emissions will be required to have their vehicles take a dynamometer-based emission test. Failure to meet the requirement will lead to license cancellation.
Hong Kong Government has long been addressing the issue of roadside emissions. Mr. Wong cited that government’s $150 million subsidy program wherein catalytic converters and oxygen sensors on petrol and L.P.G. taxis and light buses can be replaced on a voluntary basis.
The subsidy program, which ended this just April, had around 80 percent of eligible vehicle owners participate. The part replacement subsidy program is significant because a worn-out catalytic converter can increase a vehicle’s emissions tenfold, as well as increase the vehicle’s fuel consumption, increase wear and tear, and reduce the vehicle’s reliability.
Mr. Wong’s reminder to petrol and L.P.G. vehicle owners was made during the Vehicle Emissions Reduction Summer Carnival 2014 that was held at the Piazza area of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. – EcoSeed Staff
