Hong Kong green group calls for curbs on car growth to improve air quality

The Clean Air Network’s latest air quality review pointed to a “strong correlation” between hours of high nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations measured at roadside air quality monitoring stations and traffic conditions.

Two weeks ago the Environmental Protection Department reported improvements in air quality and lauded its efforts to tackle pollution – namely particulate matter – through policies such as phasing out old commercial diesel vehicles.

But the NGO’s chief executive, Patrick Fung Kin-wai, stressed that toxic NO2 levels produced in fuel combustion were still far from safe and that the vehicle growth needed to be curbed.

“The first step to solving the problem is to accept that [uncontrolled vehicle growth] is a problem,” Fung said.

“Traffic operators and bus franchises blame illegal parking and think it’s an enforcement issue. Private car [owners] say there’s nowhere to park, so its a land issue. Public transport users blame private car drivers – maybe it’s a wealth gap issue. Car owners then say it’s a free market.”