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The Environment
Pollution Prevention
Air Pollution
The government implements control measures to improve air quality, aiming to broadly attain its air quality objectives in 2020. The EPD conducted a three-month public consultation in 2019 about its recommendations on tightening the objectives. Having considered the public's views and various other factors, the government will proceed with the legislative process in 2020 to tighten the objectives.
The department takes action to reduce emissions from local polluting sources. Between 2009 and 2017, emissions of SO2, nitrogen oxides (NOx), RSP and volatile organic compounds dropped 25 percentage points to 74 per cent. From 2010 to 2019, ambient concentrations of RSP, fine suspended particulates, NO2 and SO2 dropped 29 per cent, 34 per cent, 27 per cent and 58 per cent respectively, while roadside concentrations of the same fell 37 per cent, 31 per cent, 32 per cent and 50 per cent respectively. Ambient ozone increased 54 per cent, indicating that the regional photochemical smog problem remains challenging. The department engages in regional collaboration to tackle the problem.
Land Transport
Vehicle emissions are the major source of roadside air pollution. The government's policy is to apply the most stringent motor vehicle fuel and emission standards practicable.
Nearly all taxis and about 80 per cent of public light buses run on LPG. An incentive and regulatory scheme, launched in 2014 to phase out some 80,000 pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles, had put about 78,000 such vehicles out of service by end-2019. The programme will be completed by 30 June 2020.
Controls are in place to curb excessive smoke from diesel vehicles and excessive emissions from petrol and LPG vehicles due to poor maintenance. During the year, 1,856 diesel vehicles with excessive smoke were reported and 5,332 petrol and LPG vehicles with excessive emissions were identified by roadside remote sensors. Such vehicles must pass a chassis dynamometer emission test at a test centre within 12 days to prove the emission problem has been rectified.
The government offers concessions in the first registration tax of electric vehicles, which have low emissions. Up to 31 March 2021, the tax on electric commercial vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles is fully waived, the tax concession for electric private cars is capped at $97,500 and a One-for-One Replacement Scheme is in effect. The scheme grants a higher tax concession, of up to $250,000, to people who arrange to scrap and de-register an eligible old private car and then register a new electric private car. In 2019, the number of electric vehicles increased 20.4 per cent year on year to 13,970, including government and special-purpose vehicles, while 2,929 public chargers were available for public use, including 588 quick and 1,108 medium chargers.
To promote mass transit systems that are pollution-free at the street level, the government gives priority to rail over road and encourages innovation.
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