Bus firms to have 28 greener vehicles on road by November

Citybus and New World First Bus will have 28 eco-friendly Euro IV buses running on busy roads by November to help clean the air.

The companies said they would also cut exhaust emissions of their fleet of around 1,600 buses to comply with the European Union directive's Euro IV emission standard by 2012.

The budget for the Euro IV buses - 10 for Citybus and 18 for First Bus - is HK$100 million. They would probably run first in Des Voeux Road in Central, Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay and Nathan Road, said Paul Li Kwong-wai, head of operations and engineering for the two bus firms.

'By 2012, the exhaust emission level will be cut by 95 per cent,' Mr Li said. But he said it was hard to calculate the total amount of exhaust reductions. The companies have about 90 pre-Euro buses, most of which have been used for up to 17 years and are due for replacement.

Euro IV buses - the latest eco-friendly model - will emit 97 per cent fewer respirable suspended particulates than pre-Euro buses. They will also cut the emissions of nitrogen oxides by 61 per cent and hydrocarbons by 81 per cent compared with pre-Euro buses.

Mr Li said they planned to invest HK$200 million a year to buy 50 to 70 Euro IV buses over the next few years. All pre-Euro and about 400 Euro I buses will be phased out by 2012, two years ahead of schedule.

The companies will also spend HK$50 million to install diesel particulate filters on all of about 1,000 Euro II buses to achieve the Euro IV emission standard by 2009. 'It will cut the exhaust emission level by 90 per cent by then,' Mr Li said.