ENG-2014 — Page 295

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The Environment

From 2005 to 2014 (preliminary data), the ambient concentrations of SO2, RSP and PM2.5 dropped by 50 per cent, 22 per cent and 29 per cent respectively and roadside concentrations fell by 59 per cent, 33 per cent and 42 per cent respectively. However, ozone increased by 31 per cent, reflecting worsening regional photochemical smog, and roadside NO2 increased by six per cent due to excess vehicle emissions and increased regional background ozone.

New Air Quality Objectives (AQOs) took effect from 1 January 2014, benchmarked against the World Health Organisation's Air Quality Guidelines, and broadly comparable to the air quality standards adopted by the European Union and the United States. The government will review the AQOS at least once every five years and implement measures under the Clean Air Plan to broadly achieve the AQOS by 2020.

The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) launched on 30 December 2013 provides real-time information about short-term health risks due to air pollution and gives advance warning of serious air pollution to enable the public (especially susceptible groups such as children, the elderly and those with heart or respiratory illnesses) to take precautionary measures.

Land Transport

Vehicle emissions are the major source of roadside air pollution. The government's policy is to apply the most stringent practicable motor vehicle fuel and emission standards. All newly registered vehicles are required to comply with the Euro V standards.

Nearly all of Hong Kong's taxis and over 67 per cent of public light buses now run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). To encourage the use of environment-friendly vehicles with low emissions and high fuel efficiency, the First Registration Tax is reduced for buyers of newly registered environment-friendly vehicles. On 1 March 2014 an incentive-cum-regulatory scheme was launched to progressively phase out by the end of 2019 some 82,000 pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles, with $11.4 billion available as ex-gratia payments for affected vehicle owners. The government has limited the service life of diesel commercial vehicles registered from 1 February 2014 to 15 years.

To promote the use of electric vehicles (EV) in Hong Kong the First Registration Tax for EVs is waived till March 2017. Various EV models have been launched in the Hong Kong market and there are more than 1,100 charging points available for public use including some 30 quick and over 150 medium charging points.

The government has stringent controls against diesel vehicles with excessive smoke. Such vehicles must pass a smoke test with the aid of a chassis dynamometer to ascertain whether the defects have been rectified. In 2014, 7,020 smoky vehicles were reported, about 88 per cent fewer than in 1999. A one-off subsidy to petrol/LPG taxi and light bus owners to replace catalytic converters and oxygen sensors ended in April. Since 1 September, the government has deployed mobile roadside remote sensing equipment to detect LPG and petrol vehicles with excessive emissions.

To promote mass transit systems that are pollution-free at street level, the government gives priority to rail over road and encourages innovation wherever practical.

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