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DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: I discussed it with the Superintendent of Traffic. I asked him what was the number of prosecutions which had taken place within the last year. This I was not able to get. He said it would mean going through a very great number of records. There were seventeen summonses taken out last Thursday, 27th. I also asked if there had been any news of the devices which could be fitted to crank cases and so on, but there was nothing new that was effective. There was nothing new for diesel engines and, in particular, nothing new which would reduce the content of the fumes to which this question is related.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to the penultimate paragraph of the reply, apparently this was one of the aspects which was discussed during that particular meeting. Now, in reply it is stated that the police are acutely aware of the problem, and they have been taking action, but yet in the last sentence of this paragraph it seems that the enforcement measures do not seem to be a sufficient deterrent. Now, Mr. Chairman, isn't this considered to be a "laissez faire" attitude on the part of the police? Was this drawn to the attention of the police by the Vice-Chairman?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: On that, Mr. Chairman, I can only recall the strike of taximen in 1962, which took place as a result of police action against them for emitting excessive smoke. The Police action lacked any form of support whatever from the public, who asked if the Police had nothing better to do than prosecute the poor taxi drivers for emitting too much smoke.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, doesn't that justify what I said, that this is definitely an instance of "laissez faire" attitude on the part of the police? With regard now to the fourth paragraph of the reply where the Vice-Chairman says that there is a greater danger, particularly from exhaust fumes from petrol engines. Has anything been done either by the police, or jointly between the Medical and Health Services and the police in regard to this much more serious problem?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: Not that I am aware of.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Then again, Mr. Chairman, isn't that now an instance of a "laissez faire" attitude on the part of both the police and the Medical and Health Services, especially since it is admitted in this paragraph that this is a much more serious problem than that of diesel engine exhausts.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: Mr. Chairman, this question relates to diesel fumes.
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MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, yes, but this is quite a related aspect of the whole problem, particularly since the answer does state quite clearly that the exhaust fumes coming from petrol engines is eight times more.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: I quite agree, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Could something be done about it then Mr. Chairman? Do I have an assurance from the Vice-Chairman that this will be taken up very actively with the police?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: When this question was asked previously, Mr. Chairman, it was referred to the Traffic Advisory Committee. I think that committee has done nothing about it at all. I see another one thousand taxis are likely to be licensed. It seems that you either have taxis and smoke, or you do away with the whole thing.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, can I ask a supplementary question on this? Has it occurred to the Medical and Health Department to put out some general publicity on this from the health point of view. I think if the general public were made aware of the seriousness of the effects of smoke which is emitted from the backs of vehicles, they could help the traffic office by reporting the numbers of the vehicles which they happen to be following which are emitting these exhaust fumes. I may say I have followed two or three Urban Services vans during the last three or four days which have been seriously emitting fumes from their diesel engines.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: You didn't take their numbers?
DR. BELL: I am sorry, I didn't take their numbers. But in future I will follow my own suggestion.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: I should add that the police do take note of any private cars or anything else which are complained about. If anybody sends them the number of a car which is emitting smoke they will send a warning to the car owner, or send the car for inspection, and unless something is done about it a summons will be taken out. This has happened to a member of my department, who has a sports car, and he had this done to him some time ago. He had to get the engine seen to, well adjusted and maintained as a result of this note from the police, and the police say the public are not interested. They do not send anything in, and they have to do regular inspections of taxis, buses and so on. If there was any public outcry about this, and they were inundated with car numbers
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-I dis-
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: cussed it with the Superintendent of Traffic. I asked him what was the number of prosecutions which had taken place within the last year. This I was not able to get. He said it would mean going through a very great number of records. There were seventeen summonses taken out last Thursday, 27th. I also asked if there had been any news of the devices which could be fitted to crank cases and so on, but there was nothing new that was effective. There was nothing new for diesel engines and, in particular, nothing new which would reduce the content of the fumes to which this question is related.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to the penultimate paragraph of the reply, apparently this was one of the aspects which was discussed during that particular meeting. Now, in reply it is stated that the police arc acutely aware of the problem, and they have been taking action, but yet in the last sentence of this para- graph it seems that the enforcement measures do not seem to be a sufficient deterrent. Now, Mr. Chairman, isn't this considered to be a "laissez faire" attitude on the part of the police? Was this drawn to the attention of the police by the Vice-Chairman?
DEPUTY DIREctor of MedICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-On that, Mr. Chairman, I can only recall the strike of taximen in 1962, which took place as a result of police action against them for emitting excessive smoke. The Police action lacked any form of support whatever from the public, who asked if the Police had nothing better to do than prosecute the poor taxi drivers for emitting too much smoke.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, doesn't that justify what I said, that this is definitely an instance of "laissez faire" attitude on the part of the police? With regard now to the fourth paragraph of the reply where the Vice-Chairman says that there is a greater danger, particularly from exhaust fumes from petrol engines. Has anything been done either by the police, or jointly between the Medical and Health Services and the police in regard to this much more serious problem?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: -Not that I am aware of.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Then again, Mr. Chairman, isn't that now an instance of a "laissez faire" attitude on the part of both the police and the Medical and Health Services, especially since it is admitted in this paragraph that this is a much more serious problem than that of diesel engine exhausts.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-Mr. Chairman, this question relates to diesel fumes.
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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, yes, but this is quite a related aspect of the whole problem, particularly since the answer does state quite clearly that the exhaust fumes coming from petrol engines is eight times more.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:--I quite agree, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Could something be done about it then Mr. Chairman? Do I have an assurance from the Vice-Chairman that this will be taken up very actively with the police?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: When this question was asked previously, Mr. Chairman, it was referred to the Traffic Advisory Committee. I think that committee has done nothing about it at all. I see another one thousand taxis are likely to be licensed. It seems that you either have taxis and smoke, or you do away with the whole thing.
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, can I ask a supplementary question on this? Has it occurred to the Medical and Health Department to put out some general publicity on this from the health point of view. I think if the general public were made aware of the seriousness of the effects of smoke which is emitted from the backs of vehicles, they could help the traffic office by reporting the numbers of the vehicles which they happen to be following which are emitting these exhaust fumes. I may say I have followed two or three Urban Services vans during the last three or four days which have been seriously emitting fumes from their diesel engines.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: -You didn't take their numbers?
DR. BELL: -I am sorry, I didn't take their numbers. But in future I will follow my own suggestion.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-I should add that the police do take note of any private cars or anything else which are complained about. If anybody sends them the number of a car which is emitting smoke they will send a warning to the car owner, or send the car for inspection, and unless something is done about it a summons will be taken out. This has happened to a member of my department, who has a sports car, and he had this done to him some time ago. He had to get the engine seen to, well adjusted and main- tained as a result of this note from the police, and the police say the public are not interested. They do not send anything in, and they have If there was any to do regular inspections of taxis, buses and so on. public outcry about this, and they were inundated with car numbers
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