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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) announced today (July 17) that it will grant exemptions to liquefied petroleum gas-cum-petrol (LPG-cum-petrol) taxis seeking first registration in Hong Kong from the requirements of being fuelled by either petrol or LPG.
To qualify for the exemption, an LPG-cum-petrol taxi will have to comply with the prevailing statutory emission standards for LPG taxis and petrol taxis as set out in the Air Pollution Control (Vehicle Design Standards) (Emission) Regulations (Cap. 311J) (the Regulation), which is at the Euro V level or equivalent. It will also have to comply with all other relevant statutory requirements for vehicles, including gas safety, noise and roadworthiness, for first registration in Hong Kong.
An EPD spokesman said, "Taxi manufacturers have developed a new generation of taxis that use both petrol and LPG. These LPG-cum-petrol taxis can meet the prevailing statutory emission standards of petrol and LPG taxis. Allowing these new vehicles to run in Hong Kong will provide more choices for the taxi trade but without adverse effects on the environment. LPG-cum-petrol vehicles are in use in different places such as the European Union, Japan and Korea."
Section 10 of the Regulation stipulates that taxis are required to be equipped with a positive-ignition engine so constructed to operate on either unleaded petrol or LPG only, but not both. However, the Director of Environmental Protection may, under section 3 of the Regulation, grant exemption on the grounds of public interest.
Ends/Thursday, July 17, 2014
Issued at HKT 12:00
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