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Following is the transcript of a media session by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, after a visit to the taxi stand outside Hung Hom MTR Station today (July 26) to experience the impact of the Motor Vehicle Idling (Fixed Penalty) Bill on the operation of taxis:
Reporter: Any second thoughts about the situation after feeling the heat?
Secretary for the Environment: I think what the bill intends to do is to reach a consensus on whether idling engines on the road should have the engines switched off. I think the purpose of this visit is to actually go into different situations to see the feedback from drivers of course, as well as pedestrians, people working at street level. I think what we need is for the Bills Committee to recognise what are the area that we can make reasonable exemption without undermining the intention of the bill. But of course I think there are far more to be discussed when we go back to the bills committee.
Reporter: Do you feel the heat from the drivers and from the weather?
Secretary for the Environment: I think everybody feels the heat. And I think that's exactly the purpose of having this legislation. The legislation is not tailor-made for a particular group of people; it's for the entire community. So that's why it is important to reach a consensus to what extent we can agree to this bill that will (be) making a norm of switching off idling engine with reasonable exceptions. I think that is the crux of the matter which I would expect the Bills Committee to seriously look into and certainly the Government would be willing to work together with them.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Monday, July 26, 2010
Issued at HKT 19:51
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