Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 4. Implementation Schedule of the Diesel-to-LPG Scheme for Taxis in Hong Kong
Year
Environmental Policies and Regulations
1997
Introduced LPG taxi trial scheme
2000 Launched a one-off subsidy to help diesel taxi operators to replace their vehicles with LPG taxis
2000
Introduced tax concessions - waived land premium for LPG refuelling stations
2001 Tightened the fuel and emission standards to EURO III level for all newly registered motor vehicles under the Air Pollution Control
(Vehicle Design Standards) (Emission) Regulation and the Air Pollution Control (Motor Vehicle Fuel) Regulation, with diesel taxis
an exemption
2001 Introduced the requirement that newly-registered taxis be fuelled by LPG or unleaded petrol under Air Pollution Control (Vehicle
Design Standards) (Emission) Regulations
2002 Tightened the fuel specifications for motor diesel to EURO IV level under the Air Pollution Control (Motor Vehicle Fuel) Regulation
2003 Tightened the emission standards to EURO III level for all newly registered LPG taxis under Air Pollution Control (Vehicle Design
Standards) (Emission) Regulations
2003 Air Pollution Control (Emission Reduction Devices for Vehicles) Regulation: all diesel vehicles first registered on or before 1995
must install approved particulate reduction devices
2005 Tightened the fuel specifications for petrol to EURO IV level under the Air Pollution Control (Motor Vehicle Fuel) Regulation
2005
Banned diesel taxis aged 7 years or more from running on the street
2006 Banned all diesel taxis from running on the street
2006 Tightened the emissions standards to EURO IV emission standards for all newly registered LPG or unleaded petrol taxis under the
Air Pollution Control (Vehicle Design Standards) (Emission) Regulations
Source: Adapted from EFB (2000); EPD (2005, 2006); ETWB (2003); HKSAR (2006); Ha (2006); Kwok (2005); Panel on Environmental
Affairs (2005)
Regulatory Impacts on Innovation
(Motor Vehicle Fuel) Regulation sets out the
specifications of motor vehicle fuel and prohibits
the supply and sale of vehicle fuels that do not
meet the specifications (EFB, 2000).
After the introduction of the comprehensive ve-
hicular emission control programme in 2000, most
taxis in the territory were quickly converted to LPG
by 2003. By 2005, 5 years after the introduction
of the replacement scheme, 99.9% of all diesel
taxis operating in Hong Kong had converted to
LPG (Panel on Environmental Affairs, 2005). The
rapid adoption was attributable to two reasons.
First, because of the early announcement of pro-
gressive fuel and emission tightening, taxi owners
anticipated that their business would eventually
be affected. The anticipation for more stringent
standards created a strong regulatory pressure and
a clear signal to accelerate the replacement. Prior
to the tightening of emission standards for newly
registered LPG taxis to EURO III under the Air Pol-
lution Control (Vehicle Design Standards) (Emis-
sion) Regulations in 2003 and banning of all diesel
taxis in 2006 (see Table 4), the taxi trade actively
Regulatory Characteristics
The Air Pollution Control Regulations (APCRs)
in relation to the diesel-to-LPG replacement
scheme display some of the properly designed
and implemented regulatory characteristics that
promote TEIs. Two air pollution control regula-
tions targetting emissions and fuel control were
amended to control vehicle emissions (see Table 4).
The APCRs are strong in stringency, consistency,
incentive-based, information-based, participatory
and capability-enhanced. They are moderate in
goal-setting, outcome-based, certainty, weak in
flexibility, process update, and display none of
the voluntary-based regulatory characteristics.
