Concern over Environment

In 2022, the Transport Department (TD) continued to take active measures to ameliorate air quality. These measures include phasing in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electric light buses, controlling the growth of franchised bus fleet, enhancing bus operations in congested areas, introducing bus-bus and bus-rail interchange schemes and reducing vehicle emission. The TD also continued to implement pedestrian schemes and promote “Walk in HK” initiatives to encourage people to “walk more, ride less” under the overall walkability strategy formulated in 2020 with the aim of fostering a pedestrian-friendly environment.

LPG / Environment-friendly Taxis

In early 2000, the Government carried out legislative amendments banning diesel vehicles registered after 1 August 2001 to be used as taxis. The Government also provided a one-off grant to encourage taxi owners to replace their diesel taxis with LPG ones. Electric/hybrid/bi-fuel taxis are also introduced to Hong Kong. As at end 2022, there were 18,151 LPG taxis among the registered taxis in Hong Kong, representing over 99.93% of the whole fleet, and 3,730 of them were hybrid/bi-fuel taxis. The Government is now actively preparing for the promotion of electrification of taxis, which includes encouraging more electric vehicle suppliers to introduce electric taxi (e-taxi) models that are suitable for use in Hong Kong, setting up an e-taxi charging network, offering financial incentives for switching to e-taxis.

LPG / Electric Light Bus

The Government launched incentive programmes in 2002, 2007 and 2010 respectively to encourage light bus owners to replace their old diesel vehicles with LPG, electric or new diesel light buses that meet the Euro emission standard. In October 2020, the Government launched another ex-gratia payment scheme to phase out Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles including light buses. As at the end of 2022, there were 3,450 licensed LPG public light buses in Hong Kong.

Controlling the Growth of Franchised Bus Fleet

To ensure efficient use of the existing franchised bus fleet, the TD scrutinises five-year forward planning programmes of franchised bus companies very carefully. The Government has all along been liaising with the franchised bus companies to re-organise and rationalise bus services, especially those operating along busy corridors with low utilisation, to reduce bus trips in busy corridors by route cancellation, amalgamation, truncation and frequency adjustment, with a view to reducing roadside air pollution, noise nuisance, traffic congestion and fuel consumption.

Bus Operations in Congested Areas

The TD pursues the reduction of bus trips along the busy corridors in Central, Causeway Bay and Yau Tsim Mong Districts. Between 2013 and 2022, the cumulative reduction of the number of bus trips in the above busy corridors was 7,310. Taking Nathan Road as an example, an additional 212 bus trips per day were reduced in 2022.

Bus-bus and Bus-rail Interchange Schemes

To avoid the introduction of excessive direct bus services, help relieve congestion and minimise the environmental impact on busy corridors, the Government encourages bus companies to introduce more bus-bus and bus-rail interchange schemes and to offer the interchanging passengers with fare discounts. By the end of 2022, there were a total of 522 bus-bus interchange schemes.

Reducing Vehicle Emission

The Government has been implementing a series of measures to reduce vehicle emissions so as to better protect public health. Key measures include:

commenced a trial of retrofitting Euro V diesel double-deck franchised buses of the dominant bus models with enhanced selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems in July 2022 so as to upgrade the vehicle emission performance to a level comparable to Euro VI;
upgraded the low emission buses’ emission requirements in the three Franchised Bus Low Emission Zones (the busy corridors in Causeway Bay, Central and Mong Kok) to Euro V to further improve roadside air quality from 31 December 2019;
launched an incentive-cum-regulatory programme in October 2020 to progressively phase out about 40,000 Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles (DCVs) (which include goods vehicles, light buses and non-franchised buses) by the end of 2027, aiming to continuously improve roadside air quality;
strengthened emission control for petrol vehicles and LPG by using mobile roadside remote sensing equipment since September 2014 to improve roadside air quality;
limited the service life of DCVs, which first registered on or after 1 February 2014, to 15 years; and
announced the first Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles (the Roadmap) on 17 March 2021, setting out the long-term policy objectives and plans to promote the adoption of electric vehicles and their associated supporting facilities in Hong Kong. The Roadmap will guide Hong Kong’s future direction to attain zero vehicular emissions before 2050. The Government will also actively promote trials on various new energy public transport and commercial vehicles, with a view to announcing a roadmap for the promotion of new energy public transport and commercial vehicles by 2025.

Pedestrian Schemes

In order to improve pedestrian environment, the TD has implemented pedestrian schemes in Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Wan Chai, Sham Shui Po, Jordan, Stanley, Sheung Shui and Yuen Long. As at end 2022, the TD has implemented seven Full-time Pedestrian Schemes, 25 Part-time Pedestrian Schemes and over 40 Traffic Calming Streets. They include:

(1) Full-time Pedestrian Schemes:

Theatre Lane, Chiu Lung Street, Findlay Road, Russell Street (between Lee Garden Road and Percival Street), Paterson Street (between Great George Street and Yee Wo Street), Jardine’s Crescent and Nanking Street.

(2) Part-time Pedestrian Schemes:

Lan Kwai Fong, D’Aguilar Street, Wo On Lane, Sai Yuen Lane, Tai Yuen Street, Chater Road, Ice House Street, Lockhart Road, East Point Road, Great George Street (between Cannon Street and Paterson Street), Marble Road, Stanley Main Street, Stanley Market Road, Stanley New Street, Bowring Street, Temple Street, Yin Chong Street, Tung Choi Street, Apliu Street, Fuk Wa Street, Pei Ho Street, Kweilin Street, San Hong Street, San Kung Street and Yuen Long New Street.

(3) Traffic Calming Streets:

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 (between Kai Chiu Road and Hysan Avenue), Russell Street (between Canal Road East and Percival Street), Paterson Street (between Kingston Street and Great George Street), Great George Street (between Paterson Street and Gloucester Road), Lee Garden Road (between Hysan Avenue and Hennessy Road), Jardine’s Bazaar, Haiphong Road, Hankow Road, Canton Road, Peking Road, Lock Road, Ashley Road, Ichang Street, Minden Avenue, Nanking Street, Pilkem Street, Shanghai Street, Bowring Street, Saigon Street, Pak Hoi Street, Ning Po Street, Fa Yuen Street, Shantung Street, Fuk Wa Street, Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Soy Street, Nelson Street, Pei Ho Street, Nam Cheong Street, Yu Chau Street, Fuk Wing Street, Kweilin Street, Yat Tai Street and Wai Chi Street.

Enhancing Walkability

The TD continues to promote “Walk in HK” with a view to encouraging people to “walk more, ride less” and reduce the use of mechanised transport for short journeys, so as to help alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality. In line with the “Walk in HK” initiative, we formulated the overall walkability strategy in 2020 which places high priority on pedestrian in transport planning to foster a pedestrian-friendly environment and promotes walking as a form of sustainable urban mobility, benefiting transport, society, environment, economy and citizen’s health.

Under the overall walkability strategy, the TD continued to test out various new walkability enhancement measures across districts, including setting up of low speed limit zones, decluttering of non-essential traffic signs and railings, levelling of run-ins/outs and provision of raised crossing. On the other hand, the TD collaborates with relevant departments to apply a new pedestrian planning framework for pedestrian planning in new development areas and suitable built-up areas.

Other measures under the “Walk in HK” initiative include implementation of pedestrian-friendly initiatives on Hong Kong Island North from Wan Chai to Sheung Wan to enhance connectivity. Enhancements such as walkway widening on the section of Western Fire Services Street was completed in 2022. We are now implementing progressively the widening of walkway on the section of Jaffe Road between Tonnochy Road and Canal Road West from 2022.

To enhance accessibility of hillside area, the TD continued to take forward the initiative of provision of hillside escalator links and elevator systems. In 2020, a review and revision of the assessment mechanism for hillside escalator links proposals under a consultancy study were completed. Based on the revised mechanism, initial screening, shortlisting and prioritising of 114 proposals received over the past years have also been completed. Eleven proposals with more obvious benefits have been selected for priority implementation.