Concern over Environment

In 2024, 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 the franchised bus fleet, enhancing bus operations in congested areas, introducing bus-bus and bus-rail interchange schemes and reducing vehicle emissions. 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 Taxi

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 were also introduced to Hong Kong. The Government is now actively promoting 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, and offering financial incentives for switching to e-taxis, etc. By the end of 2024, there were 18,009 LPG taxis (including 5,405 hybrid/bi-fuel taxis) and 139 e-taxis among the registered taxis in Hong Kong.

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. The Government is implementing a Pilot Scheme for Electric Public Light Buses in phases to subsidise the trials of electric public light buses on different green minibus routes. By the end of 2024, there were 3,238 licensed LPG public light buses and 4 licensed electric 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 carefully scrutinises five-year forward planning programmes of franchised bus companies. 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 the number of bus trips on busy corridors by adjusting frequency and service hours, truncation, amalgamation and route cancellation. This aims to minimise roadside air pollution, noise nuisance, traffic congestion, and fuel consumption.

Bus Operations in Congested Areas

The TD pursues the reduction of the number of bus trips along the busy corridors in Central, Causeway Bay, and Yau Tsim Mong Districts. Between 2015 and 2024, the cumulative reduction of the number of bus trips on the above busy corridors was about 6,000. An addition of about 160 bus trips per day were reduced in the above-mentioned districts in 2024.

Bus-bus and Bus-rail Interchange Schemes

The Government encourages bus companies to introduce more bus-bus and bus-rail interchange schemes and to offer the interchanging passengers with fare discounts, with a view to enhancing bus network efficiency, relieving congestion, and minimising the environmental impact on busy corridors as well as avoiding the introduction of excessive direct point-to-point bus services. By the end of 2024, there were a total of 565 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:

limited the service life of diesel commercial vehicles (DCVs), which were first registered on or after 1 February 2014, to 15 years;
strengthened emission control for petrol and LPG vehicles by using mobile roadside remote sensing equipment since September 2014 to improve roadside air quality;
upgraded the emission requirements for low emission buses in the three Franchised Bus Low Emission Zones (the busy corridors in Causeway Bay, Central and Mong Kok) to Euro V standards 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 DCVs (which include goods vehicles, light buses and non-franchised buses) by the end of 2027, aiming to continuously improve roadside air quality;
announced the first Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles (the Roadmap) in 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; and
announced the Green Transformation Roadmap of Public Buses and Taxis in December 2024, which includes major measures such as subsidising franchised bus operators to purchase about 600 electric buses and the taxi trades to purchase 3,000 electric taxis; continued to expand the network of charging facilities, with an aim to increase the number of public and private parking spaces with charging infrastructure to about 200,000 by mid-2027.

Pedestrian Schemes

In order to improve the 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 the end of 2024, the TD has implemented seven Full-time Pedestrian Schemes, 24 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 (between McGregor Street to Johnston Road), Chater Road, Ice House Street, Lockhart Road (between Cannon Street and East Point Road), East Point Road, Great George Street (between East Point Road and Paterson Street), Marble Road, Stanley Main Street, Stanley Market Road, Stanley New Street, Bowring Street, Temple 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, 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 (in front of Times Square), Paterson Street (between Kingston Street and Great George Street), Great George Street (between Paterson Street and Gloucester Road), , 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” to encourage 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 a high priority on pedestrians 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 citizens’ 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 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 redevelopments in existing built-up areas.

Other measures under the “Walk in HK” initiative include the implementation of pedestrian-friendly initiatives on Hong Kong Island North from Wan Chai to Sheung Wan to enhance connectivity. We have been implementing progressively the widening of the walkway on the section of Jaffe Road between Tonnochy Road and Canal Road West from 2022, of which the section between Tonnochy Road and Marsh Road was completed in end-2024.

To enhance the accessibility of hillside area, the TD continued to take forward the initiative of providing 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 in the past have also been completed. Eleven proposals with more obvious benefits have been selected for implementation. In considering implementing these 11 projects, the Government will keep examining how to use public resources more effectively and the cost effectiveness of works projects, while keep reviewing the priority of these projects in light of the latest developments, including policy development and financial situation of the Government, etc., and will adjust the implementation schedule as appropriate.