Transport chief studies phasing out of old cars
Sarah Liao is reviewing cost-effectiveness of scheme, which is among measures to reduce HK's air pollution
The environment minister is studying the possibility of expediting the phasing out of vehicles with outdated emission standards in an attempt to reduce air pollution.
The measure is among several options being reviewed by the Council for Sustainable Development. Another possibility would see a switch to cleaner fuel for local ferries, and for industrial and construction purposes.
Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung said officials were studying the cost and benefits of phasing out old vehicles.
Although Hong Kong is closely following the European Union's new vehicle and emission standards, such as the adoption of the Euro IV standard this year, thousands of vehicles of lower standards remain on the streets as Euro IV only applies to new cars.
'We are studying how many old vehicles there are and what we can do to accelerate the rate of phasing them out,' Dr Liao said
'We'll look at how much effect they will bring, say if we turn all the cars into Euro IV. What if we have to pay several billion dollars only to achieve a 0.1 per cent reduction. Is that worth doing?'
Dr Liao said that if the government did decide to dispose of old vehicles, it was not likely to pay the full cost of each replacement. Instead, financial subsidies might be considered.
Dr Liao agreed Hong Kong had to deal with its own pollution, on top of any regional efforts to tackle the smog.
However, she said it was never easy to strike a balance between better air quality and the cost to society. As an example, she cited stricter ferry and cross-border truck emission controls that might lead to fare rises and increases in operating costs.
'The ferry operators are already complaining about making losses. While those who do not ride on the ferry will say, 'let's cut emissions', passengers might ask for a subsidy.
'Cross-boundary vehicles are also a problem. If you ask them to cut emissions, they might say their competitiveness could be compromised.'
Wu Dui , who specialises in the study of smog at Guangzhou's Institute of Tropical and Marine Meteorology, said it was vital for Hong Kong to reduce its vehicle emissions.
'The city's vehicles might be using fuel cleaner than the mainland's. But the vehicle population in Hong Kong is confined in a high-density area. Some more controls have to be implemented,' Professor Wu said. He said Hong Kong should also cut its power plant emissions, which had a significant impact across the border.
'Zhuhai used to have the top air quality in the country. But the quality has deteriorated sharply as it is possible that pollutants from the Castle Peak Power Plant travelled a long distance and fell in Zhuhai, and Macau as well,' he said.
