Street-level air pollution will finally be monitored along with general pollution levels.
Public, green group and media pressure - including a campaign by the South China Morning Post in 1995 - helped persuade the Environmental Protection Department to install three $2 million roadside monitors, department director Robert Law said yesterday.
'It's quite clear that certain sections of the public were interested in having the data available . . . it's money well spent,' Mr Law said.
The new monitoring devices will give readings on street-level pollution as well as on general levels, monitored from an average height of four storeys up.
Mr Law said readings from the monitoring stations in Mongkok, Central and Causeway Bay would provide more relevant readings for people working on or near streets such as newspaper sellers, construction workers and taxi drivers. Readings from the stations will be released from Monday.
Roadside pollution levels are between 10 and 50 per cent higher than those at the department's other monitoring stations.
Changes to the way air pollution is reported will also start from Monday. A level of 51 to 100 - which Hong Kong experiences for at least half the year - will now be rated 'high' instead of 'moderate'.
