Initial grants of $40,000 are proposed for owners willing to switch diesel taxis to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). 'We've got a plan to help the taxi owners. If they are willing to switch their cars from diesel to LPG, they can get an initial grant of $40,000,' Gordon Siu Kwing-chue, Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, said yesterday. Mr Siu also told the Legco environmental affairs panel a proposal on how to reduce emissions from diesel vehicles would be released early next month. The proposal includes long-, middle- and short-term plans to reduce pollution from diesel vehicles, buses, minibuses and trucks. Lai Hoi-ping, chairman of the Hong Kong, Kowloon Taxi and Lorry Owners' Association, attacked the Government for imposing a heavy burden on the SAR's taxi drivers. He said: '$40,000 is not attractive at all. The appropriate amount should at least be $80,000 and a free or low-interest scheme should be introduced. 'We agree we should help protect the environment and we want the air to be cleaner. But we're only running small businesses. The Government shouldn't lay all the burden on us. 'Most drivers I've talked to have reacted strongly, especially those who have bought new taxis in recent years. As the subsidy may not be granted after 2003, this group of drivers are forced to abandon vehicles which have not yet worn out.' Leung Siu-cheong, chairman of the Taxi Operators Association, said: 'The time allowed for the switch is too short. A diesel taxi has a lifespan of about eight years. So the deadline for the subsidy offer should be postponed to 2008.' The Town Planning Board has given the go ahead for the building of the SAR's first two LPG filling stations at Sheung Wan and Tai Po.