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Government to introduce Motor Vehicle Idling (Fixed Penalty) Bill
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     The Government will introduce the Motor Vehicle Idling (Fixed Penalty) Bill to the Legislative Council (LegCo) on April 28.  To reduce air pollution, heat and noise nuisances caused by idling motor vehicles with running engines, the Bill will introduce a statutory requirement for drivers to switch off the engines while the vehicles are stationary.  It will be applicable to all roads, including private roads and car parks.
  
     The Bill will target idling vehicles at the roadside.  These motor vehicles cause air pollution, heat and noise nuisances to pedestrians and shops on both sides of the road.  These nuisances are more acute during bad air pollution days and in densely populated areas.  Furthermore, idling vehicles will lead to increased emission of greenhouse gases.  This will in turn increase the ambient temperature in Hong Kong, further aggregate the heat island effect and, in the long term, intensify climate change.  Together with the relevant measures of the HKSAR Government on climate change, the statutory requirement for drivers to switch off the engines of idling vehicles could mitigate environmental nuisances caused by these vehicles.

     The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, said that the issue of idling vehicles has been discussed in the community for many years.  He said he hoped that the Council would further take on board the views of the community and forge a consensus during scrutiny of the Bill, so as to help reduce air pollution, heat and noise nuisances caused by idling vehicles to nearby pedestrians and shops.

     "As shown from previous consultations, the Hong Kong community accepts and is willing to comply with the practice of switching off the engines of idling vehicles.  In view of the operational needs of the transport trades, we have included various exemptions in the Bill.  The current proposal will strike a reasonable balance between the need to protect the public from nuisances caused by idling vehicles and the operational needs of drivers and the transport trades.  We will continue listening to the views of all sectors during scrutiny of the Bill," he said.

     Before submitting the Bill to the Council, the Government  conducted extensive public consultations.  The proposals set out in the Bill have taken into account the views of the transport trades and the public.  Among others, the Environmental Protection Department conducted a five-month consultation from November 2007 to March 2008.  The results revealed that most respondents supported the proposal.  However, on implementation details, some respondents, especially representatives of the transport trades, urged the Government to fully consider the needs of drivers and the trades when formulating the final proposal.  On the other hand, other respondents and green groups opined that too many exemptions would weaken the effect of the regulation and called on the Government to complete the legislation process as soon as possible.

     After careful examination of the views of community, the needs of drivers and the transport trades, the effectiveness of the proposal in mitigating environmental nuisances and the practicability of enforcement, the Government put forward a revised proposal to LegCo's Panel on Environmental Affairs in January and February 2009 and listened to the views of the Council and the transport trades.  We have given further consideration of each of the views received as well as the relevant factors following the meetings, and propose to further expand the scope of exemption.  Compared with the proposal for public consultation, the Bill includes the following major amendments:

(1) in light of the sentiments of different sectors in the community, in particular those of the transport trades, as well as overseas experiences, we propose to provide a grace period of three-in-sixty-minutes to drivers of all motor vehicles;

(2) expanding the scope of exemption at taxi stands from the first two taxis to the first five taxis;

(3) expanding the scope of exemption at green minibus stands from the first two green minibuses to the first two green minibuses of each route;

(4) expanding the scope of exemption at red minibus stands from the first two red minibuses to the first two minibuses, a red minibus with at least one passenger on board and a red minibus which is immediately behind it; and

(5) exempting non-franchised buses with at least one passenger on board.

     The Government proposes to apply the prohibition against idling vehicles to all motor vehicles equipped with an internal combustion engine (ICE), including vehicles powered by petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas, as well as hybrid vehicles.  However, it will not apply to a hybrid vehicle when it is powered by electricity.  The prohibition will not be applicable to electric vehicles, as they are not powered by ICE and do not generate any emission.  

     The Bill also provides that a driver who contravenes the prohibition against idling vehicles is liable to a fixed penalty of $320, which is the same as that for illegal parking.  Traffic wardens will be the main enforcement agents.  Environmental protection inspectors will also be empowered to enforce the law to carry out relevant duties during blitz operations in conjunction with traffic wardens.

     The Government pledged in the 2009-10 Policy Address to introduce the Bill to LegCo in 2009-2010.  The Bill will be published in the Gazette on April 16 and submitted to LegCo on April 28.

Ends/Thursday, April 15, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:05

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