ENG-1993 — Page 454

THE ENVIRONMENT

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less must meet stringent emission standards. To comply, petrol-fuelled cars must be fitted with catalytic converter emission control devices and engine management systems. The regulations also require that all petrol-fuelled cars registered after January 1992 must use unleaded petrol. Plans are in hand to lower the sulphur content of vehicle diesel fuel oil by 1995.

The existing scheme for reporting smoky vehicles was revised in October 1991. Smoky vehicles that are observed are now directed to take remedial action and to attend a designated testing centre to confirm that the smoke problem has been rectified. There are 20 centres in operation, and they conducted approximately 42 000 smoke tests in 1993.

The government is also considering a scheme which will see the eventual replacement of diesel-powered taxis, public light buses and light goods vehicles by cleaner, unleaded petrol-fuelled counterparts. Using a system of duty rebates to equalise the operating costs of both types of vehicles during the five-year period when both are on the road, the scheme will eliminate most smoky vehicles and contribute to much-needed reductions in health- threatening levels of air pollutants.

Traffic noise is a problem in some areas. A practical way to minimise sleep disturbance is to divert traffic, particularly heavy vehicles, from noise-sensitive receivers. A recent amendment to the Road Traffic Ordinance enables the regulation of traffic on environ- mental grounds, and this will be used to route heavy traffic away from residences in Ma Hang.

Under the Quiet Road Surface Programme, which aims to reduce the traffic noise impact on residents living close to high-speed trunk roads, 6.1 kilometres of roads were resurfaced with a quieter porous bitumen material. This brought relief to the residents of some 8 400 dwellings. A further 2.1 kilometres of roads are scheduled to be resurfaced in 1994.

The Noise Insulation Programme for Schools provides noise insulation for windows and air-conditioning for school classrooms affected by excessive levels of aircraft and traffic noise. To date, some 3 000 classrooms have been acoustically treated, benefiting 140 000 students. A further 4 500 classrooms will receive similar treatment in the coming two years.

Noise from the operation of rail transport is controlled under the Noise Control Ordinance. In 1993, the Mass Transit Railway Corporation started to implement a noise mitigation programme for its rolling stock, railway tracks and maintenance depots. The Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation also launched a 10-year noise reduction pro- gramme to alleviate the railway noise at 18 populated locations along its line.

Controls on the discharge of oily wastes, noxious liquids and other harmful materials from ships have been introduced under the Merchant Shipping (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Ordinance. Among other things, the law sets minimum requirements aboard ocean-going and local vessels to prevent polluting discharges.

Construction and Demolition

The noise and vibration of the percussive pile-driver, once so characteristic of Hong Kong's massive construction programme, is now minimised by restrictions on its operations. The construction industry is no less active, however, and still generates noise, smoke and dust. It also produces vast quantities of solid waste that need safe disposal.

The Noise Control Ordinance, its regulations and two technical memoranda, are the major instruments for the control of construction noise. The Environmental Protec- tion Department controls the operation of powered mechanical equipment in general