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Press
Releases - 1998
EPD-Police
joint anti-smoky vehicles operation
The Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) and the Police jointly conducted
an anti-smoky vehicle operation today (Tuesday) to crack down
on smoky vehicles.
During
the one and a half hours operation, eight smoky vehicles spotted
by the Police were intercepted and then escorted into the
Police vehicle pound in Quarry Bay for an emission test conducted
by EPD officers, using smokemeter.
Six of
them were found to have emission exceeding the statutory limit
of 60 Hartridge Smoke Unit (HSU), and were issued immediately
a fixed penalty ticket of $450 by the Police and a Vehicle
Repair Order requiring the vehicle to attend a further smoke
check at EPD's Vehicle Emission Testing Centre at Ho Man Tin
at specified dates.
"The
purpose of the further check is to ensure that the vehicle
is properly maintained and repaired to eliminate the excessive
smoke. This department will ask the Transport Department to
cancel the licence of a vehicle if it fails the check again,"
the Principal Environmental Protection Officer, Mr Mok Wai-chuen,
said.
Apart
from the repair order, EPD staff also handed out information
leaflets to drivers, reminding them that proper vehicle maintenance
can stop smoke emissions.
"We are
glad to have full support from the Police. We will continue
the joint operation regularly and especially during days of
high air pollution. We hope that through this effort vehicle
owners and drivers will be alert of the need to keep their
vehicles at the best condition to minimise air pollution,"
said Mr Mok.
The Government
is tackling vehicle pollution in a comprehensive manner. Measures
introduced include unleaded petrol and catalytic convertors,
clean diesel and stringent diesel emission standards as well
as the stepping up of maintenance and inspection requirements
progressively.
"We have
now the most stringent vehicle fuel and emission standards
in Asia that are equivalent to Europe. We are planning to
introduce new technology early next year to test vehicle smoke.
This will help enhance the vehicle maintenance standard to
minimise vehicle emissions," Mr Mok said.
End/Tuesday,
September 29, 1998
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