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The task force on LPG vehicle stalling incidents, held its third meeting today (February 11), reviewing the work progress and deliberating the investigation direction.
"Over the past month the task force has conducted site inspections, convened a hearing to gauge views from trades, and collected relevant data and test results. The next step will be to consolidate and analyse information collected, to identify possible causes of the incidents and to recommend improvement measures." a spokesman of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) said.
During the meeting, the three working groups and the study group under the task force reported the progress made. Members of the working groups on terminals and LPG filling stations had conducted site inspections at Sinopec's LPG terminal and five LPG filling stations to examine their operation and maintenance practices. The working group on LPG vehicles visited workshops for LPG vehicles to study on-site the maintenance practices of LPG vehicles.
Following the LPG vehicle incidents, EMSD took LPG samples from a number of locations including terminals and filling stations for tests in laboratories on the Mainland and in Germany to verify their quality. EMSD has received all the results of laboratory tests conducted on the Mainland and some of the results of tests conducted in Germany. With a multitude of parameters of the LPG quality, the testing took time and results of a number of LPG tests in Germany are not yet available. The EMSD will, when it receives the remaining test results from Germany, submit all test results and analysis to the task force, for a scientific and comprehensive investigation into the engine stalling incidents.
The LPG Vehicle Testing Scheme has been in full swing. The study group reported that since its launch on January 11, 28 vehicles had joined the scheme. None of the engine stalling cases of vehicles under the scheme was related to LPG quality. In response to the suggestion by the trade, six LPG minibuses will join the scheme so that performance data of different types of vehicles can be collected.
Since the establishment of the hotline on January 4, a total of 148 cases relating to engine stalling had been received. The number of reports have dropped to single digit figures or zero since January 12.
Ends/Thursday, February 11, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:58
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