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Members of the Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) were briefed at a meeting today (October 28) by the Environmental Protection Department on a number of traffic-related emission control measures proposed in the public consultation document on Air Quality Objectives Review.
TAC recognised that air quality was an increasing concern in Hong Kong and that its improvement would require a concerted effort by the community.
"We encourage members of the public as well as the transport sectors to actively participate in the consultation with a view to forging a broad consensus to take forward the proposals," TAC Chairman, Ms Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, said.
While appreciating the environmental benefits of the proposed emission control measures, TAC said that some of the measures could impact heavily on the transport trades and might also affect the community.
"In deliberating the emission control measures, public views and aspirations as well as the concerns of the transportation sector should be taken into consideration,"Ms Cheng said.
TAC members were also briefed on the outcome of the review of the fare adjustment arrangement (FAA) for franchised buses. They noted that the inclusion of the formula in the FAA in 2006 had provided a more objective and responsive starting point for considering bus fare adjustment. They also supported the Government's proposal to keep the FAA since it had been working well.
"Although the fare adjustment formula has not triggered any comprehensive fare review so far, it has enhanced the responsiveness and objectivity of the fare adjustment process, to the benefit of the bus operators, passengers and the general public," Ms Cheng said.
The current FAA was put in place in January 2006 to enhance the objectivity and transparency of the fare adjustment process and enable upward and downward fare adjustments in accordance with economic conditions.
Ends/Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:13
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