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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) announced today (September 25) that it would extend the application period of the one-off grant scheme for all pre-Euro diesel commercial vehicles from next Tuesday (September 30) to March 31, 2010.
The deadline will be the same as that for Euro I diesel commercial vehicles after the extension.
The extension measure is to accelerate the replacement of aged diesel commercial vehicles with a view to improving the roadside air quality.
"We will inform pre-Euro diesel commercial vehicle owners of the Government's decision of extending the application period for the one-off grant scheme," a spokesman for the department said.
"In addition to extending the application period for the one-off grant, we intend to consider other measures, such as raising the vehicle licence fees of old vehicles after the extended deadline ends to provide an added impetus to vehicle owners to replace their old vehicles with cleaner ones.
"We will fully consult the transport trade and the Legislative Council's Panel on Environmental Affairs before taking forward these proposals," he said.
To bring early relief to roadside air pollution, the Government introduced in April, 2007, a one-off grant scheme to encourage the early replacement of these aged vehicles with new ones. By the end of last month (August), 5,692 pre-Euro diesel commercial vehicles and 2,250 Euro I diesel commercial vehicles had been replaced under the one-off grant scheme, making up a payment of $323 million of the grant.
"However, there are still 30,000 pre-Euro diesel commercial vehicles and 17,000 Euro I diesel commercial vehicles on the streets, accounting for 25% and 15% of the diesel commercial vehicle fleet respectively," the spokesman said.
Should all the remaining pre-Euro and Euro I diesel commercial vehicles be replaced by Euro IV vehicles, the emissions of respirable suspended particulates (RSP) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the diesel commercial vehicle fleet would be reduced by 62% and 35% respectively, bringing substantial improvement to roadside air quality.
Details of the one-off grant scheme are available from the EPD website:
http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/air/prob_solutions/old_diesel_com_veh_replace_prog.html
Ends/Thursday, September 25, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:08
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