Unity on road to cleaner 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