Transport 259
station with Victoria Park as well as the busy streets in the heart of Causeway Bay and its junction with Happy Valley; and the extension of the footbridge system in Mong Kok to connect the Mong Kok and Mong Kok East Stations as well as to connect the Tai Kok Tsui area via central Mong Kok.
Technical feasibility studies will be carried out in respect of the recommended pedestrian link schemes. Public engagement and engineering studies on developing conceptual ideas for improving pedestrian environment in Yuen Long Town are nearing completion. Based on the views gathered through this process, a series of improvement schemes have been formulated. The schemes are being refined and the way forward is being formulated.
Franchised bus companies have been purchasing buses with environmentally friendly engines that meet the European emission standards (known as Euro engines) since 1993. About 98 per cent of franchised buses are equipped with Euro engines while the remaining buses have all been retrofitted with catalytic converters. To help improve the environment, the franchised bus companies have been deploying buses with Euro II or more environmentally friendly engines on routes along Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay, the busiest shopping area on Hong Kong Island. The Government is working with the companies to deploy cleaner vehicles along other busy corridors. The franchised bus companies and the Government have also been working to improve the overall quality of public transport interchanges to make them more user-friendly for passengers. Electronic route information panels and customer service centres have been set up at some interchanges. Other improvements included refurbishing some of the interchanges and their ventilation systems.
Since August 2001, all newly registered taxis have been required to run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to meet stricter emission standards to reduce air pollution. Incentive schemes to encourage the early replacement of diesel light buses with LPG or electricity-driven vehicles were implemented between August 2002 and December 2005. Almost all taxis and 64 per cent of PLBS have switched to LPG.
Another incentive scheme was introduced between April 2007 and March 2010 to encourage replacement of Pre-Euro and Euro I diesel commercial vehicles with more environmentally friendly ones to comply with prevailing emission standards. By end March 2010, about 14 400 applications had been approved and another 1 400 applications were granted approval-in-principle for replacement of the concerned vehicles by end-March 2011. The scheme has also been extended to cover replacement of Euro II diesel commercial vehicles with effect from July 2010 for a period of three years until June 2013. In addition, a reduction in first registration tax has been offered to new buyers of environmentally friendly vehicles that run on petrol instead of diesel. At present about 17 900 applications have been processed.
Cross-boundary Traffic
Overall Cross-boundary Traffic
Cross-boundary vehicular traffic increased by 6.6 per cent in 2010 compared with the previous year, averaging 43 000 vehicles a day whereas the total