Citypulse: Banning engine idling is low-hanging fruit that must be picked

Finally, after more than two years since the original public consultation, the Government intends to introduce an ordinance to ban engine idling on April 28th in LegCo. 

Some green groups and politicians are saying that it is a waste of political capital to win the passage of this bill. But how can one not support such a bill when roadside emissions pose the biggest threat to human health?

The proposed legislation goes to the heart of the matter: it cuts down on roadside emissions within our borders; within our control. — Joanne Ooi

Hong Kongers constantly complain that there isn't anything we can do to improve air quality because pollution comes from Southern China. But plenty of evidence demonstrates that roadside emissions pose the greatest threat to human health. The same ton of nitrogen dioxide emitted by tailpipes at street level is much more concentrated and dangerous to human health than when emitted by a power plant smokestack 30 feet up in the air. Furthermore, studies conducted by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have shown that 53 per cent of the time a majority of pollution is our own.

Thus, the proposed legislation goes to the heart of the matter: it cuts down on roadside emissions within our borders; within our control. Indeed, clamping down on idlers is actually among the lowest hanging fruit when it comes to emissions measures which can make an immediate and direct difference.

Of course, the devil is in the details. Opponents, or at least non-supporters, criticize the proposed legislation because they feel that the benefits will be meager. But that could be remedied through a tougher enforcement program, which doesn't rely on the issuance of tickets by the police and Environmental Protection Department inspectors alone.

I hope the Government will consider creating a program similar to the EPD's Smoky Vehicle Spotter Program. Under that program, members of the public are encouraged to report vehicles spewing exceptionally dirty tailpipe emissions once they have undergone official EPD training. Approximately 1,000 active spotters report about 10,000 smoky vehicles per year, making a serious contribution to policing the emissions of Hong Kong's 110,000 diesel vehicles.

Clean Air Network is currently assisting the EPD to expand the program by organizing additional spotter training sessions for its members. We’re doing this because, all too often, we’re asked by Hong Kongers: "What more can I do to make a direct impact on Hong Kong’s air pollution?"

A similar practical scheme of citizen reporting could be devised for engine idling. This way, enforcement would be more widespread, with more concrete results: lower levels of roadside emissions. And Hong Kong's residents could engage and contribute more actively to solving the city's biggest public health problem.