ENG-1996 — Page 481

THE ENVIRONMENT

Transport

All petrol cars must be fitted with catalytic converters to control emissions. The market share of unleaded petrol reached 80 per cent in 1996. Diesel vehicles must meet Euro I and Euro phase I standards and only low (0.2 per cent) sulphur content is permitted in motor diesel fuel.

A scheme for reporting smoky vehicles has been running since 1988. All vehicles reported must be examined at a designated testing centre to confirm that the vehicle owners have rectified the smoke defects. The 19 centres conducted approximately 28 000 tests in 1996.

Diesel vehicles are major contributors to territory-wide vehicle emission problems. Government control strategies include up-to-date emission standards, tightened inspection requirements, and higher penalties on smoky vehicles.

This will contribute to much-needed reductions in health-threatening levels of air pollutants, especially in urban areas, and eliminate many smoky vehicles on the roads. However, if health-related air quality objectives are to be met, then transport will need to change to cleaner fuels than diesel.

The intensive use of roads to cater for the rapid growth in the economy has made road traffic noise one of the most pervasive forms of pollution in the territory. It is estimated that close to a million people are exposed to a noise level of road traffic higher than 70 dB(A) L10(1 hr), which is the minimum acceptable standard specified in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines.

Pre-emptive planning remains the most effective way to tackle road traffic noise problems. Through the EIA process, the potential noise impact of new road projects is examined at the early stage of planning and counter-measures planned. As a last resort, building insulation may be undertaken to redress the impact on the affected premises. This requires improving the insulation quality of the windows and providing air-conditioning.

The newly enacted legislation for the control of noise emission from vehicles and motor cycles, the Quiet Road Surface Programme and the Noise Abatement in Schools Programme are the major ancillary measures that will help alleviate traffic noise problems. Up to 1996, about 9.7 kilometres of noisy roads were resurfaced with a special porous, low-noise road surface bringing relief to some 13 000 residents. In addition, some 8 100 classrooms were acoustically treated and about 384 000 students benefited.

To minimise noise from railway operations, the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) completed three noise-mitigation projects in its 10-year noise- reduction programme at Tai Wo station, Hin Keng Estate and Tai Po Market, bringing significant relief to some 32 000 residents previously adversely affected by rail noise. The programme has been revised and the total number of sites to be provided with noise-screening structures increased to 27. The Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC) has started building a noise cover to protect 2 300 residents at Heng Fa Chuen.

Aircraft noise continues to be a major problem for those living under the Kai Tak Airport flight path. Increasing air traffic demand has added to the problem. A comprehensive package of mitigation measures was implemented including an

absolute night-time curfew, tight restrictions on late evening arrivals over populated

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