Hong Kong to scrap pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles

Part of the fight to contain air-pollution.

Hong Kong intends to phase out pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles to reduce toxic nitrogen oxides by 30% and suspended particulates by 80%. The proposal could phase out 80,000 pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles.

The Environmental Protection Department also seeks to limit the service life of newly registered diesel commercial vehicles to 15 years, including goods vehicles, minibuses and non-franchised buses.

It has raised its proposed subsidy to phase out pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles by HK$3 billion, bringing the total to HK$11.7 billion.

Environment Secretary KS Wong said the proposal strikes a balance between transport trade concerns and public health. He appealed to the transport industry to phase out the vehicles as soon as possible to improve roadside air quality.

If the proposal is approved by the council, a new regulation will be proposed under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance imposing requirements for granting vehicle licenses under the Road Traffic Ordinance.

The proposed regulation will then be tabled to the council in late October or early November for negative vetting and could be implemented in the first quarter of 2014.