XN000022-1976-04-29 — Page 2

THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1976

ANTI-POLLUTION STANDARDS FOR NEW DIESEL VEHICLES

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STRICT NEW ANTI-POLLUTION STANDARDS FOR NEW DIESEL-ENGINED VEHICLES WILL BE INTRODUCED IN FOUR MONTHS' TIME.

ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL APPROVED THE NEW REGULATIONS ON TUESDAY (APRIL 27).

+UNDER THE NEW REGULATIONS. DIESEL-ENGINED VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AFTER SEPTEMBER 1, 1976, WILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH STRICT NEW EUROPEAN STANDARDS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE STANDARDS ARE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (EEC) DIRECTIVE NO. 72/306/EEC EEC REGULATION NO. 24 FOR EUROPE AND BRITISH STANDARD BS AU 141A.

DIESEL-ENGINED VEHICLES WILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ANY OF THESE EUROPEAN REGULATIONS OR ALTERNATIVELY WITH AUSTRALIAN 'DESIGN RULE NO. 30- ALL OF WHICH SET MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE SMOKE LEVELS.

THE FIRST COUNTRY TO COMPLY WITH THE EEC DIRECTIVE WAS HOLLAND IN OCTOBER LAST, FOLLOWED BY FRANCE FOUR MONTHS AGO. AUSTRALIA WILL INTRODUCE ITS STANDARD IN JULY THIS YEAR.

EXPLAINING THE ABOVE STANDARDS THE SPOKESMAN SAID: THE BRITISH STANDARD CONTROLS BOTH THE MEASUREMENT OF SMOKE EMISSION AND ENGINE POWER AND WILL REMAIN IN FORCE UNTIL THE MAJORITY OF EUROPEAN VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS ADOPT THE EEC DIRECTIVE 72 ON DIESEL SMOKE, WHEN THE BRITISH STANDARD WILL CEASE TO APPLY.+

IN HONG KONG, THESE NEW MEASURES WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS REDUCING SMOKE POLLUTION WHICH IS CAUSED MAINLY BY DIESEL VEHICLES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HOWEVER, AS THE NEW REGULATIONS COVER NEW VEHICLES ONLY, THE FULL EFFECT WILL NOT BE SEEN IMMEDIATELY. BUT LATER THIS YEAR FURTHER ANTI-POLLUTION MEASURES WILL BE INTRODUCED COVERING ALL VEHICLES WHATEVER THEIR AGE,+ HE ADDED,

THE NEW REGULATIONS WERE ARRIVED AT AFTER CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MOTOR TRADERS ASSOCIATION. THEY FOLLOW LESS THAN TWO YEARS AFTER THE ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION AND USE) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1974 WERE INTRODUCED TO CONTROL EXHAUST SMOKE FROM PETROL-ENGINED VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AFTER NOVEMBER 1, 1974.

THE NEW STANDARDS FOR DIESEL-ENGINED VEHICLES ARE INCLUDED IN THE ROAD TRAFFIC (CONSTRUCTION AND USE) (AMENDMENT) (NO, 2) REGULATIONS 1976, WHICH WILL BE GAZETTED TOMORROW (FRIDAY).

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