Trucks arriving from the mainland should have limits on the amount of diesel fuel they can bring in, according to a green group. Mainland diesel, which contains almost six times as much sulphur as SAR fuel, has been blamed for aggravating the levels of air pollution in the SAR. But most cross-border truck drivers fill tanks on the mainland because they can save $2 per litre. Plato Yip Kwong-to, assistant director of Friends of the Earth, said that before unifying fuel specifications with those over the border, short-term measures should be imposed. In Singapore, trucks heading to Malaysia are required to have their fuel tanks at least 75 per cent full when they leave and can be no more than 75 per cent full when they return. The Customs and Excise Department now sets a ceiling on the amount of mainland fuel exempted from duty, but will not cap the total brought in. Last year, the department seized 4,600 litres in breach of exemption limits. A total of 4.8 million vehicles returned from the mainland through the three border points in 1998.
