Moves to cut emissions of franchised bus fleet ruled out
Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen announced subsidies of HK$3.2 billion towards the cost of replacing up to 74,000 old commercial diesel vehicles - part of a package of measures to bring cleaner air to the streets of Hong Kong.
Environmental officials said owners of such vehicles - which do not meet the most basic European Union standards on emissions - remain reluctant to scrap them. Most are between eight and 11 years old.
Mr Tsang also pledged to provide a 30 per cent tax concession - up to a maximum of HK$50,000 - for the purchase of environment-friendly private vehicles, such as hybrid cars, that emit fewer pollutants and save on fuel consumption.
The city's emission of nitrogen oxides and respirable suspended particles would be reduced by 10 and 18 per cent respectively if all old diesel vehicles were replaced. If Hong Kong's 340,000-strong fleet of private cars were replaced, emissions of nitrogen oxides would be cut by 1 per cent and emissions of carbon dioxide by 15 per cent.
However, a move to cut emissions of the franchised bus fleet was ruled out as it would involve costs of up to HK$5 billion and the replacement of all 2,000 old buses. Instead, the government plans to further rationalise bus routes in congested areas, later allowing the bus companies to shoulder the burden of replacing old buses.