XN000022-1974-05-10 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1974.

CONTROLS ON VEHICLE POLLUTION INTRODUCED

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THE FIRST POSITIVE MOVES TO CONTROL POLLUTION CAUSED BY MOTOR VEHICLES WERE TAKEN TODAY WITH THE GAZETTING OF AHENDED REGULATIONS WHICH LAY DOWN CERTAIN CRITERIA FOR VEHICLES IMPORTED INTO HONG KONG IN THE FUTURE.

THE REGULATIONS KNOWN AS THE ROAD TRAFFIC CON- STRUCTION AND USE)(AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1974 — MAKE IT COMPULSORY FOR PETROL-ENGINED VEHICLES TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF REGULATION 15 MADE BY THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (ECE). THEY WILL NOT APPLY TO MOTOR CYCLES OR VEHICLES WHICH ARE NOT CAPABLE OF EXCEEDING 50 KILOMETRES PER HOUR ON LEVEL GROUND.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT ECE 15 SETS OUT IN DETAIL THE MANUFACTURING STANDARDS AND TESTS REQUIRED OF THESE VEHICLES TO MINIMISE THE POSSIBILITY OF EMITTING EX- HAUST SMOKE.

INITIALLY THE REGULATIONS WILL APPLY ONLY TO NEW PETROL-ENGINED VEHICLES IMPORTED INTO HONG KONG AND MANUFAC- TURED AFTER NOVEMBER 1, 1974.

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT THIS WAS NECESSARY TO PERMIT LOCAL VEHICLE IMPORTERS TO CLEAR THEIR PRESENT STOCKS AND TO ARRANGE FOR FUTURE DELIVERIES OF ACCEPTABLE MODELS..

+ALMOST ALL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY EUROPEAN FIRMS ALREADY COMPLY WITH THE ECE 15 REQUIREMENT AND THERE ARE EQUIVALENT STANDARDS FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN OTHER

•COUNTRIES, SUCH AS THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT.

THE MOTOR TRADERS ASSOCIATION, WHICH HAS BEEN KEPT INFORMED OF THE NEW REGULATION, IS FULLY SUPPORTING ITS IMPLEMENTATION.

VEHICLES WHICH COMPLY WITH THE REGULATION ARE AUTO- MATICALLY EQUIPPED WITH EXHAUST EMISSION CONTROLS WHICH ENSURE THAT THEY DO NOT EMIT MORE THAN 4.5 PER CENT BY VOLUME OF CARBON MONOXIDE.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS FIRST PUTTING CONTROLS ON PETROL-ENGINED VEHICLES BECAUSE THE EXHAUST SMOKE, ALTHOUGH LESS VISIBLE THAN THAT FROM DIESEL VEHICLES, CONTAINED TOXIC CARBON MONOXIDE GAS.

HE SAID THERE WERE PLANS TO FOLLOW THIS UP WITH SIMILAR CONTROLS ON NEW DIESEL-ENGINED VEHICLES LATER THIS YEAR. LEGISLATION WAS ALSO IN THE PIPELINE TO EXERCISE MORE CONTROL OVER THE AMOUNT OF EXHAUST SMOKÉ EMITTING FROM VEHICLES ALREADY ON THE ROADS.

ANOTHER SET

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