Bringing blue skies back to Hong Kong is at the top of the Government's agenda. To improve roadside air quality, the Environmental Protection Department will launch three new measures from tomorrow.

First, the Government will provide a one-off grant to encourage vehicle owners to replace their pre-Euro and Euro I diesel commercial vehicles with new commercial vehicles that comply with the prevailing emission requirements for newly registered vehicles. That is currently the Euro IV standard. The grant will last for 18 months for pre-Euro vehicles and three years for Euro I vehicles.

Replacing all pre-Euro and Euro I diesel commercial vehicles with Euro IV models will reduce the vehicular emissions of respirable suspended particles by 74% and of nitrogen oxides by 38%. This would cut territory-wide RSP emissions by 18%, and NOx emissions by 10%, bringing marked improvement to roadside air quality.

There are 74,000 vehicles eligible for the grant and $3.2 billion has been earmarked for the scheme. Details can be found by clicking here.

Registration tax cut for 'green' cars

Secondly, buyers of newly registered environment-friendly petrol cars will enjoy a 30% reduction in first registration tax, subject to a ceiling of $50,000 per car.

Environment-friendly petrol private cars emit 50% less hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides and consume 40% less fuel than conventional Euro IV petrol private cars. Owing to their higher fuel efficiency, they emit 40% less carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas contributing to global warming.

To help car buyers choose environment-friendly petrol private cars, the department will issue environment-friendly private car certificates to cars complying with the qualifying standards. Details are available here.

Large vehicles must install emission-reduction devices

Thirdly, pre-Euro diesel concrete mixers, gully emptiers, lorry cranes or pressure tankers that weigh more than four tonnes - except those issued with a cross-boundary road permit - must install emission-reduction devices.

Failure to comply with this statutory requirement stipulated under the Air Pollution Control (Emission Reduction Devices for Vehicles)(Amendment) Regulation will lead to cancellation of vehicle licences.

In 2005, the Government completed a one-off grant programme to help owners of these vehicles install emission-reduction devices and 95% took advantage of the grant. Owners of the remaining vehicles will have to complete the installation at their own cost.