Section 8 - Concern over Environment Concern over Environment In 2008, the Transport Department continues to take active measures to ameliorate air quality. These measures include the continuation of replacing diesel taxis with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) taxis, phasing in LPG and electric light buses, controlling the growth of the franchised bus fleet, enhancing bus operations in congested areas, introducing bus-bus and bus-rail interchange schemes, improving vehicle emission, and implementing pedestrian schemes. LPG Taxis As at end of 2008, there were 18,135 registered LPG taxis in Hong Kong, representing over 99% of the whole fleet. A total of 58 LPG filling stations were operating in various parts of the territory. Since the disbursement of a one-off grant to encourage taxi owners to replace their diesel taxis with LPG ones, there have been few, if any, diesel taxis imported or newly registered in Hong Kong. We had amended the relevant legislation to formalize the situation such that no diesel taxis could be imported into Hong Kong from 1 August 2001. LPG / Electric Light Bus The Government has proposed a voluntary incentive programme in end 2001 to encourage existing diesel light bus owners to replace their vehicles with LPG or electric ones. After consultation with the PLB trade, the voluntary incentive scheme was formally launched on 27 August 2002. Eligible PLB owners who replaced their diesel PLBs with LPG or electric ones could apply for a one-off grant of $60,000 or $80,000 respectively. The deadline for application was end of 2005 for diesel PLBs aged below 10 years at the time of de-registration. Another incentive scheme, "To Replace Pre-Euro and Euro I Diesel Commercial Vehicles by New Commercial Vehicles Incentive Scheme", which covers the replacement of PLBs, was launched on 1 April 2007 and the deadline for application is 31 March 2010. Under this scheme, the grant for the replacement of a Pre-Euro or Euro I Diesel PLB to a Euro IV diesel, LPG or an electric PLB is $40,000, $60,000 and $80,000 respectively. At year-end of 2008, there were 2,610 licensed LPG PLBs in Hong Kong. Controlling the Growth of the Franchised Bus Fleet To ensure efficient use of the existing franchised bus fleet, we are scrutinizing the companies' five-year forward planning programmes very carefully. The Administration will liaise with the bus companies to re-organise and rationalise the bus services, especially those services operating along the busy corridors with low utilisation, to reduce the bus trips in busy corridors by route cancellation, amalgamation, truncation and frequency adjustment, with a view to reduce air pollution, noise nuisance, traffic congestion and fuel consumption. Bus Operations in Congested Areas The Department further pursued the reduction of bus trips in busy corridors in 2008. Comparing to the year before, there were about 170 and 90 bus trips per day reduced along the busy corridors in Yee Wo Street and Central respectively after a series of rationalisation exercise. In addition, the reduction on Nathan Road accounts for about 120 bus trips per day last year. For the period from 2002 up to 2008, the cumulative reduction of the number of the bus trips in the above busy corridors was about 4373. Bus-bus and bus-rail Interchange Schemes To avoid the introduction of too many direct bus services, help relieve congestion and minimize the environmental impact on busy corridors, the Administration encourages the bus companies to introduce more bus-bus and bus-rail interchange schemes and to offer the interchanging passengers with fare discounts. By end 2008, there were a total of 229 bus-bus interchange schemes. Improving Vehicle Emission By the end of 2008, about 92% of the franchised buses were running on engines in compliance with the Euro emission standards. With effect from October 2006, all new buses purchased by the franchised bus companies also met the Euro-IV emission standards. For pre-Euro buses, the franchised bus companies are gradually scrapping and replacing them by new buses of the latest Euro emission standards. All pre-Euro and Euro I buses have been fitted with emission reduction devices. Since February 2001, all franchised buses have been using diesel with ultra low sulphur content. The legislative amendment to tighten the in-use diesel vehicle emission standard from 60 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU) to 50 HSU has been effective from 1 May 2008. Pedestrian Schemes In order to enhance road safety for pedestrians, promote walking as a transport mode and improve the overall pedestrian environment, the Transport Department has implemented pedestrian schemes in Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Wan Chai, Sham Shui Po, Jordan, Stanley, the Peak, North Point, Sheung Shui and Yuen Long. These schemes were well received by the public at large. As at end 2008, we have implemented 7 Full-time Pedestrian Schemes, over 30 Part-time Pedestrian Schemes and over 35 Traffic Calming Schemes. They include: (i) Full-time Pedestrian Schemes: Theatre Lane, Chiu Lung Street, Findlay Road, Russell Street, Paterson Street, Jardine's Crescent and Nanking Street. (ii) Part-time Pedestrian Schemes: Lan Kwai Fong, D'Aguilar Street, Wo On Lane, Tai Yuen Street, Lockhart Road, East Point Road, Great George Street, Pak Sha Road, Lee Garden Road, Marble Road, Stanley Main Street, Stanley Market Street, Stanley New Street, Bowring Street, Temple Street, Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Nelson Street, Tung Choi Street, Soy Street, Apliu Street, Fuk Wa Street, Pei Ho Street, Kweilin Street, San Hong Street, San Kung Street and Yuen Long New Street. (iii) Traffic Calming Schemes: Wyndham Street, Queen's Road Central, Elgin Street, Peel Street, Staunton Street, Jaffe Road, Johnston Road, Kai Chiu Road, Foo Ming Street, Lan Fong Road, Pak Sha Road, Yun Ping Road, Russell Street, Paterson Street, Great George Street, Lee Garden Road, Jardine Bazaar, Haiphong Road, Hankow Road, Canton Road, Peking Road, Lock Road, Ashley Road, Ichang Street, Minden Avenue, Nanking Street, Pilkem Street, Shanghai Street, Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Fa Yuen Street, Shan Tung Street, Fuk Wa Street, Pei Ho Street and Nam Cheong Street.