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Following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) made by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, at a media session after attending a public event today (September 6):
Reporter: (On no idling engine bill) What will be done to reach consensus?
Secretary for the Environment: I think in the last couple of months since we have introduced the legislation for the Bills Committee to consider, there has been some consensus on what sort of exemption we should be giving. On top of what we have proposed in the Bill like certain concessions to certain number of public transport vehicles, we have also proposed that on extreme weather including very hot climate days, and also rainstorm days, we can offer exemption for the whole day since the rainstorm or the hot weather signal has been hoisted. This would minimise the impact on drivers. But having said that, I think the very purpose of the Bill is not just only to cater for drivers, but also for those who are being driven and also all the pedestrians on the roadside. So there need to be a balance to be struck that on the one hand, to give due consideration to extreme weather, but at the same time, we should take measures that would not undermine the very purpose of the Bill which is to stop idling engine from running and creating emission or pollution which is hazardous to public health. I hope that with the upcoming second visit to school sites, to public transport interchange, and also to certain public transport locations, we can foster a greater consensus among members of the Bills Committee so that we can take the Bill forward because I think that is what the public wish us to do.
Reporter: What will be … the drivers …?
Secretary for the Environment: Clearly, there need to be further public discussion. To a certain extent, I think there is increasing consensus that this Bill must be taken forward because we need to build a norm whereby idling engine should be stopped instead of being kept running so as to create emission. But on the other hand, there are divergent views on to what extent the exemptions should be introduced. I think this is a job for both the Government and the Bills Committee to foster such a consensus and to see there is room for making such a consensus among different divergent views.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)
Ends/Monday, September 6, 2010
Issued at HKT 19:47
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