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Hybrid buses in use

Jan 12th, 2013
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http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/projectsandschemes/2019.aspx

Hybrid buses in useNew hybrid buses

There are 301 diesel-electric hybrid buses in London, running on routes 3, 12, 15, 16, 19, 23, 24, 38, 73, 76, 94, 139, 141, 188, 211, 380, 328, 360, 371, 436, H91 and E8.

How they work

Hybrid buses are powered by a mix of an ordinary diesel engine and an electric motor.

The hybrid buses we use also have regenerative braking, which means they generate electrical energy when the brakes are pressed.

This electrical energy is stored in a battery pack and used to drive the electric motor.

Download our factsheet on hybrid technology (PDF 102KB)

The hybrid programme

Since the initial introduction of hybrid buses in 2006, manufacturers have developed variations of hybrid systems for trial in London. The trial has helped develop newer generations of hybrid bus for full scale roll out.

The programme to deliver 300 hybrid buses has been achieved ahead of the December 2012 target. This milestone is now complete but our work with bus operators and manufacturers of increasing the number of hybrid buses across the London bus network will continue. By March 2013, an additional 150 hybrid buses will be expected to have joined the fleet. In addition the Mayor is committed as part of his manifesto to deliver 600 NBfL hybrid buses by April 2016.

The pace of the roll-out of hybrid buses will depend on available funding streams and standard route contract tenders.

Environmental benefits

We test hybrid buses to make sure they produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, harmful pollutants and lower noise levels.

Compared with diesel buses, hybrid buses deliver environmental benefits, including:

  • Minimum 30 per cent reduction in fuel use
  • Minimum 30 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide
  • 3 decibel [dB(A)] reduction in perceived sound levels
  • Reduced oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide

Unity on road to cleaner trucks

Jan 7th, 2013
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A green group has joined drivers of commercial vehicles to demand a timetable on the phasing out of polluting trucks.

Monday, January 07, 2013

A green group has joined drivers of commercial vehicles to demand a timetable on the phasing out of polluting trucks.

They want Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to address the problem of aging diesel vehicles in his maiden policy address next week.

To press home their message, they held a rally at Central Government Offices yesterday, followed by a slow drive along Tim Mei Avenue in Tamar.

Friends of the Earth director of general affairs Edwin Lau Chi-fung said a scheme offering truck owners subsidies to replace aging vehicles is ineffective.

Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing said the government will consider banning such vehicles.

Wong acknowledged there is need to retire about 83,000 diesel trucks, especially those pre-Euro, Euro I, II, III that are more than 15 years old.

The latest Environmental Protection Department figures show only 10percent of 120,000 such vehicles are covered by the subsidy that meets 18percent of the cost of replacements.

Stanley Chiang Chi-wai, chairman of Lok Ma Chau China-Hong Kong Freight Association, said the subsidy should be raised to 30percent.

This would be more effective in getting old diesel trucks off the road than imposing a new licensing regime.

The government has already set aside HK$1.4 billion to compensate those drivers prepared to get rid of their old vehicles.

Lau said there are 15,818 pre-Euro heavy diesel trucks still on the road, emitting 34 times the particulate matter and 4.5 times the nitrogen dioxide of a Euro V.

“These vehicles are definitely harming our health and should be phased out as soon as possible,” he said.

CANDY CHAN

Hong Kong Will Ban Dirtiest Diesel Vehicles From City Limits

Jan 2nd, 2013
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http://gas2.org/2013/01/02/hong-kong-will-ban-dirtiest-diesel-vehicles-from-city-limits/

January 2, 2013 By Christopher DeMorro Leave a Comment

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It doesn’t take a genius to link air pollution with old vehicles, and the powers-that-be in Hong Kong have tried for decades to reduce the constant smog smothering one of the world’s most populated cities. Now a new initiative will ban the dirtiest diesel vehicles from the city limits while offering companies financial incentives for modernizing their delivery fleets.

While Hong Kong’s ruling party hasn’t laid out specifics, city leaders have noted that since air quality goals were enacted 25 years ago, the city has not met its own self-imposed goals once. In fact, last year saw 175 days of “high pollution” days, meaning almost half of 2012 was spent under a cloud of smog and engine emissions. While Hong Kong says that just 3,000 premature deaths a year are attributed to heavy pollution, the real number is probably a lot higher.

The main factor is the more than 120,000 diesel-powered heavy vehicles, including delivery trucks and buses, that operate in the city limits. 40% of these vehicles are older diesel models that comply with the Euro II model, emitting more than 12x the emissions that more modern diesel vehicles complying with the Euro V standard. While it is cheaper to run these older diesel vehicles rather than replace them, the long term health costs to society as a whole can no longer be tolerated, even in places like China, where the welfare of the working class is rarely cause for concern.

Hong Kong plans to get companies to phase out these older diesel vehicles by offering substantial government subsidies, while banning older diesel vehicles from operating in the city limits. City leaders hope that threat of banning businesses from operating their fleets in Hong Kong proper, along with generous subsidies, will lead to a cleaner, greener fleet of modern diesel vehicles. Other efforts to clean up air pollution include Hong Kong’s police department buying and using a fleet of Brammo electric motorcycles, which have been met with unabashed enthusiasm.

Other cities, including Paris, France and London, England have experimented with ways of reducing urban congestion and pollution. While London enacted a congestion charge for downtown that exempts EV and plug-in hybrid vehicles, Paris has talked about banning older, larger, and dirtier vehicles from the city limits, though without the draconian efficiency of Hong Kong. Beijing has also toyed with such

If Hong Kong’s efforts prove fruitful, other cities could follow their model. But it could also drive the cost of doing business in Hong Kong up as well. Will business owners adapt, fight, or flee these new stringent diesel restrictions?

Source: Bloomberg

Smooth ride for bus station despite a few bumps

Dec 28th, 2012
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HK Standard

Clear the Air says: This is what they need in Central, Causeway Bay and Mongkok with only hybrid , electric or Euro VI buses plying the busy routes like Nathan Road and other designated Clean Air Zones.

Only then will we start to see lower roadside pollution in those areas.

Smooth ride for bus station despite a few bumps

The first working day at the new bus transit station in Tuen Mun went off smoothly – although a few passengers did board the wrong vehicle.

Friday, December 28, 2012

The first working day at the new bus transit station in Tuen Mun went off smoothly – although a few passengers did board the wrong vehicle.

The Siu Lam station was officially opened on Boxing Day and most of the passengers then were enjoying a holiday.

“The bus transit is still at a preliminary stage and the Transport Department will decide whether to remove some of the routes after getting feedback,” said acting transport commissioner Caroline Yip Lai-ching, adding that more than 100 passengers used the facility yesterday.

Kowloon Motor Bus deputy managing director Evan Auyang said commuters generally found the service more convenient than the MTR.

However, some passengers said they were confused and want better signs to direct them to the correct buses.

For instance, KMB Route 61M, which originally went to Lai King, now uses the facility as the final stop. This confused some passengers who wondered how they could reach their destinations.

Another bus transit towards Tuen Mun town is under construction and is expected to open in the second half of next year.

KELLY IP

Dirty diesel engines an obvious target for EPD

Nov 6th, 2012
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Submitted by admin on Nov 6th 2012, 12:00am

Business

LAI SEE

Howard Winn

It’s long been known that vehicles using old diesel engines cause a high proportion of Hong Kong’s roadside pollution. This was confirmed by the release of Hong Kong’s 2010 Air Pollutant Emission Inventory recently. It revealed that a relatively small number of old diesel-engined vehicles were causing a relatively high amount of roadside pollution.

The organisation Clean Air Network has worked on this information and calculates that commercial diesel vehicles – pre Euro, Euro I and Euro II – account for only 10 per cent of the vehicles on the road but account for 73 per cent of total roadside respirable suspended particulates (PM10) and 34 per cent of total roadside nitrogen oxides (NOx).

The reason for this is that the older engines are vastly more polluting than properly tuned newer engines. A pre-Euro engine, for example, produces 34 times more respirable particles than a Euro IV engine and 2.6 times more NOx. Even a Euro III engine produces five times more PM10 particles than a Euro IV and 1.4 times as much NOx.

If the network is right, getting rid of Euro II engines and those below it, would reduce PM10 particles by 73 per cent and a significant amount of NOx. According to the Hedley Environmental Index, the high level of roadside emissions in Hong Kong has resulted in an average of 3,200 avoidable deaths each year for the past five years.

This is a figure which the government has evidently felt quite comfortable with even though it exceeds by a long way the number of deaths due to bird flu, Sars, and swine flu, diseases that receive far more attention.

Getting rid of highly polluting vehicles is low-hanging fruit and is hopefully something that can be achieved relatively easily by the Environmental Protection Department.

Have you got any stories that Lai See should know about? E-mail them to howard.winn@scmp.com [1]

Topics:

Air Pollution in Hong Kong

roadside pollution

Source URL (retrieved on Nov 6th 2012, 6:06am): http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1075673/dirty-diesel-engines-obvious-target-epd

Paying for clean air can never be too expensive

Oct 29th, 2012
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SCMP

Submitted by admin on Oct 29th 2012, 12:00am

Comment›Insight & Opinion

SCMP Editorial

A government study has shown that the city achieved its overall clean-air targets in 2010, cutting emission levels of four pollutants by up to 60 per cent compared with 1997. But this ignores the real problem – roadside air pollution – which just keeps getting worse.

Since the study was released, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has named the environment as one of the deep-rooted problems he will address with an interventionist approach to governing, such as phasing out old diesel-run vehicles. And environment secretary Wong Kam-sing has said the government will consider tough measures, such as not renewing licences for diesel commercial vehicles more than 15 years old, which are among the chief roadside-pollution culprits.

We trust this is a taste of things to come. Road transport accounted for 286,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide pollution in 2010, up 15,000 tonnes in one year alone. When other countries are preparing to introduce Euro VI emission standards starting next year, Hong Kong still has 60,000 Euro I and II emission standard vehicles of 12 to 18 years old on its roads.

Wong said what air-quality experts have been saying for years – that if Hong Kong is to tackle bad air seriously, it needs policies to specifically deal with roadside pollution.

That said, the operators of polluting diesel vehicles are not breaking current transport and environmental rules, since their vehicles are licensed under them. One operator has warned, reasonably enough, that some will be prepared to take legal action to defend their right to continue to earn their livelihoods.

Clearly, there will need to be effective incentives for drivers to upgrade willingly to acceptable standards. Existing subsidies have proven to be inadequate in value and coverage of the city’s 120,000 diesel vehicles.

The government is right to be prudent with such handouts. But in this case it can be confident that the public would see cleaner roadside air – the stuff that we breathe – as good value for a lot of money.

Topics:

Air Pollution

Environment

roadside pollution

old diesel vehicles

Source URL (retrieved on Oct 29th 2012, 4:19am): http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1072087/paying-clean-air-can-never-be-too-expensive

Smoky old diesels en route to ban

Oct 19th, 2012
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Older diesel vehicles will be banned from Hong Kong roads under a “carrot and stick” plan, environment minister Wong Kam-sing said yesterday.

Winnie Chong and Choya Choy

Friday, October 19, 2012

Older diesel vehicles will be banned from Hong Kong roads under a “carrot and stick” plan, environment minister Wong Kam-sing said yesterday.

Wong’s comments came a day after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said the government would consider “tighter control over and the eventual phasing out of old buses and commercial vehicles.”

It also came as the roadside air pollution index topped 130 in Central, prompting health warnings for a ninth day running.

Wong noted that the mainland has set a deadline for discontinuing licenses for commercial diesel vehicles that are 15 years old.

“We can have a carrot and stick to guarantee that we would achieve the air quality by a certain time, say we are setting a target for 2015, so that we have to have an effective measure to phase out those old diesel commercial vehicles,” he said.

Wong said 80 percent of roadside air pollution comes from diesel commercial vehicles.

Undersecretary for the Environment Christine Loh Kung-wai said the government is thinking of “specific formulas” for franchised buses, non- franchised buses, school buses, tourist buses and trucks that use diesel.

The proposals could be ready next month, she said, adding that setting age limits for such vehicles will be legislated.

Hong Kong Guangdong Transportation Association secretary Tse Long said the government should cover at least one-third of the cost of upgrading their fleets and pay for the entire cost of discarding the old trucks.

“It should be same as the practice for poultry vendors who surrender their licenses,” he said.

Kowloon Truck Merchants Association chairman Leung Kun-kuen said such a move would force truck drivers out of work and operators to close down as they would not be able to afford HK$700,000 to HK$800,000 to buy new vehicles.

Government figures show there are about 140,000 commercial diesel vehicles, which account for 20 percent of road traffic.

There are more than 30,000 trucks aged 15 years old, comprising about 30 percent of existing trucks.

Friends of the Earth senior environmental affairs manager Melonie Chau Yuet-cheung said: “The measure certainly will help improve the air quality.”

Clean Air Network campaign manager Patrick Fung Kin-wai hoped the government will set a concrete timetable and provide a scrapping incentive for vehicle owners to replace their cars. A truck operators’ alliance will meet officials next week.

Download PDF : img-X19104802stand

Tough measures considered to get old diesel vehicles off Hong Kong’s roads

Oct 19th, 2012
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SCMP

Submitted by admin on Oct 19th 2012, 12:00am

News›Hong Kong

ENVIRONMENT

Jennifer Ngo jennifer.ngo@scmp.com

Officials may consider not renewing licences for commercial trucks more than 15 years old that contribute hugely to pollution in the city

The government is considering adopting tough measures to phase out old diesel-powered commercial vehicles to help tackle declining air quality.

Environment secretary Wong Kam-sing said yesterday that the government would consider policies such as those on the mainland of not renewing licences for diesel-powered vehicles more than 15 years old.

About 60,000 Euro I and Euro II emission-standard vehicles, from 12 to 18 years old, are still operating in the city. Euro I emission standards were introduced for buses and truck in 1992. Euro II levels aimed to reduce permitted emissions by up to 30 per cent compared with Euro I. Euro VI will be introduced next year.

“Roadside pollution is most problematic [in Hong Kong],” Wong said. “We need policies to specifically deal with it [if we need to tackle air pollution [as] 80 per cent of pollutants come from old diesel-run vehicles.”

Wong’s comments came after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying told the Legislative Council on Wednesday that tackling pollution would be a major concern. Leung also said the government would implement policies to phase out old diesel-run vehicles.

Government reports show that road transport accounted for 286 tonnes of sulphur dioxide emissions in 2010, up from 271 tonnes in 2009.

“We hope to set some timetables and goals,” said Wong, but further communication with the transport industry and Legco would be needed.

Transport unionist and truck driver Stanley Chaing Chi-wai said: “To improve the air quality [in Hong Kong] is not just about tackling transport.

“Right now, if our trucks comply with transport and environmental rules and emissions are below the allowed level, we can continue to drive our vehicles,” said Chaing. Trucks were checked on an annually, he said.

If licences were not renewed for diesel vehicles more than 15 years old, this would contradict existing regulations, he said.

Truck driver Tse Long said: “If [there is a 15-year vehicle age limit for licensing], some people will probably go to court about it.”

Tse said more incentives were needed, not tough measures.

He said a government scheme to subsidise drivers willing to upgrade to a newer truck model offered inadequate funding.

Increasing subsidies would be more effective in getting old diesel trucks off the road, rather than imposing a new licensing regime.

According to the Environmental Protection Department’s latest figures, only 10 per cent of 120,000 commercial diesel vehicles are covered in the subsidy scheme. It only pays for 18 per cent of new vehicles.

In 2010, then acting secretary for the environment Dr Kitty Poon Kit proposed higher fees for older vehicles to get them off the road. But the plan was scrapped.

Topics:

Environment

old diesel vehicles

Wong Kam-sing

Source URL (retrieved on Oct 19th 2012, 6:10am): http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1064322/tough-measures-considered-get-old-diesel-vehicles-hong-kongs-roads

Ageing diesel vehicles banned in anti-pollution drive

Oct 18th, 2012
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SCMP

Submitted by calum.gordon on Oct 18th 2012, 7:16pm

News› Hong Kong

Lai Ying-ki

The government is planning to phase out old diesel vehicles to reduce roadside pollution, Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing said on Thursday.

Wong said one option that can be adopted from overseas and the mainland was to discontinue the licenses of diesel vehicles which have reached 15 years old.

“We hope to draw up a retirement age [for these vehicles],” he said, adding that diesel vehicles contributed to 80 per cent of pollutants at roadsides.

He said overseas authorities on one hand offered incentives to encourage owners to phase out diesel vehicles and on the other hand introducing a cap on their time in use.

“We will discuss incentives with industry stakeholders, and see how to balance their business and Hong Kong’s air pollution,” he said.

The environment minister spoke of the new initiative as roadside air pollution indices have reached the “very high” level of 100 in three busy districts in the past nine days.

The Environmental Protection Department warns people with heart or respiratory illnesses against physical exertion and outdoor activities when the indices reach this level.

Wong also said his bureau was now drawing up a target for reducing roadside pollution in 2015.

Source URL (retrieved on Oct 19th 2012, 5:13am): http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1064163/ageing-diesel-vehicles-be-phased-out-anti-pollution-drive

Fine pollutants inside buses twice WHO limit, study finds

Oct 13th, 2012
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SCMP

Submitted by admin on Oct 13th 2012, 12:00am

News›Hong Kong

ENVIRONMENT

Jolie Ho jolie.ho@scmp.com

People on Hong Kong buses are breathing air containing twice the level of fine pollutants as that deemed safe by the World Health Organisation, an environmental group said yesterday.

Friends of the Earth conducted tests in June and July, and found the average level of PM2.5 particles – those 2.5 microns or less in diameter – in buses on 13 routes was 53.11 micrograms per cubic metre. The WHO calls for a limit of 25.

Such particles are roughly 1/28th the thickness of a human hair and because they are so fine, can lodge deep in the lungs. Some respirable suspended particles can cause cancer.

Melonie Chau Yuet-cheung, senior environmental officer of Friends of the Earth, said such high levels of PM2.5 were a serious health threat to the passengers and drivers. “There is a perception problem. People think that entering a bus is like entering a protected area, comparatively safer [than on a polluted roadway], but that is not the case,” Chau said.

The PM2.5 levels in buses were about the same as on the roadside because the vehicles’ ventilation systems did not filter out fine particles, she said.

The study was limited to franchised buses, and so excluded minibuses. Buses on each route were tested at least four times to get a reliable average reading.

The highest level recorded was in a bus on Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay – 171 microns per cubic metre – on Citybus route 5.

Dr Wong Tze-wai, a professor in occupational and environmental health at Chinese University, said: “These suspended particles can bypass the normal defence mechanism of the human body. They do not exist in nature … so they cannot be captured [by the fine hair and mucus in our lungs].”

Wong said US studies had linked fine particles to elevated death rates from lung cancer.

Kowloon Motor Bus said new buses were being equipped with electronic static filters, which can block PM2.5. By last month, 1,350 of its 3,900 buses had the filters. Citybus could not be reached for comment.

The government has not set a limit for PM2.5.

Topics:

Fine pollutants

Bus

Environment

Who

Source URL (retrieved on Oct 13th 2012, 5:35am): http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1059807/fine-pollutants-inside-buses-twice-who-limit-study-finds

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