Untitled - Civic Exchange

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CLEANER & MORE EFFICIENT ROAD TRANSPORT 5 Once reliance on road transport has been minimized, the next step in moving towards more sustainable transport is to make road transport as clean and efficient as possible. In making this transition, there are two main priorities: • Facilitate use of road vehicles with high occupancy potential, particularly for long-distance, high-demand routes. High capacity vehicles free up road space and reduce congestion. Compared to other high-income cities, Hong Kong ranks quite well in terms of high occupancy vehicle use. • Introduce clean power systems that lessen environmental damages (both local and distant) from energy production in vehicles of any capacity. Although movement in this direction is long overdue, Hong Kong has begun to move towards cleaner vehicles by requiring cleaner fuel and engine systems. During the 1990s, the sulfur content of transport diesel fuel was reduced 122 and since January 1, 2000, new vehicles have been required to meet Euro 3 standards. 123 This trend toward cleaner fuels and vehicles is expected to continue with the introduction of ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) and more stringent Euro standards. With regards to a clean vehicle strategy, the basic question is this: based on the commercial viability of technologies, cost constraints, energy delivery infrastructure requirements, vehicle performance standards, and emissions, which fuel and power systems are best for the specific situation at hand 5.1 High occupancy road vehicles High occupancy road vehicles fall into two major categories: free-wheeling vehicles with on-board fuel and engines and tethered electric road vehicles (electric trolley buses and modern trams 124 ) that run along fixed routes. Free-wheeling vehicles offer maximum flexibility, while tethered vehicles offer advantages with respect to efficiency, pollution, and noise.The major focus of this section is on how transport needs currently met by diesel buses might be met in more sustainable ways, primarily by replacing a significant proportion of the free-wheeling bus fleet with tethered electric vehicles. Buses Buses in Hong Kong account for about 39% of all public transport journeys by road and are utilized more than any other mode of passenger transport, including rail. 125 Bus service in Hong Kong is both extensive in terms of area coverage and off-peak service and intensive, meaning that there is frequent service during peak periods. In much of Hong Kong, it is possible to rely on bus service most or all of the time. During 122 Transport Department (1999), Third Comprehensive Transport Study: Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment, Hong Kong: HKSAR Government. 123 Hong Kong uses the European Vehicle Emission Limits, commonly referred to as Euro 1-5. These specify the carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter emission limits for petrol and diesel cars, light commercial vehicles, and heavy-duty vehicles. However, a large number of pre-Euro vehicles are still on the road in Hong Kong today. There is a significant difference in emission levels between pre-Euro and Euro vehicles; for example, in Euro 3 vehicles, emissions of particulate matter and nitrogen oxide (the two pollutants of greatest concern in Hong Kong) are about 92% and 58% lower than in pre-Euro vehicles. Moreover, even in Euro vehicles, the actual emissions are far higher than projected without proper maintenance. 124 The word modern is used here to emphasize the fact that the present tram system on Hong Kong Island employs vehicles that are literally antiques. They are slow, cheap, uncomfortable, and quite narrow. In contrast, the modern trams found in some European cities are faster and more comfortable (although they use slightly more road space). 125 HKSAR Government (2001), Hong Kong 2001, Hong Kong. 40
Chapter 5: Cleaner & More Efficient Road Transport the 1990s, the overall quality of Hong Kong buses (e.g., introduction of air conditioning, lower pollutant emissions) improved substantially. However, the real question is how many additional large, road-based passenger vehicles can be put on Hong Kong's increasingly congested roads at peak hours given the topological limitations imposed by mountains and the coastline. It is presumably in light of these limitations that the Third Comprehensive Transport Study (CTS3) projects that the proportion of all public transport journeys made by franchised buses will drop to about 33% by 2016, even with the Transport Department's proposed massive road building program and with a rise in population to beyond 8 million. 126 Although we feel that the government is still not taking the steps necessary for making rail the backbone of Hong Kong's transport system (see Chapter 3), it is clear that road vehicles must continue to play an important role in absolute terms even as their relative share of all public transport declines. While it may be possible to reduce the number of buses on some routes at some times, in absolute terms, the need to maintain a certain number of buses on Hong Kong's roads will remain constant as the population continues to grow. In keeping with this observation, CTS3 projects the absolute number of bus and other road-based public transport journeys will increase somewhat up to 2016. 127 Considering the unhealthy street level air quality and noise levels in Hong Kong, it is vital that large passenger vehicles in Hong Kong become far less detrimental to the quality of life in the neighborhoods through which they travel. One basic improvement would be better coordination with rail. Bus service in Hong Kong is provided by private companies but heavily regulated by the government. In light of government's role in awarding routes and given the many crossovers between road and rail lines in Hong Kong's high density urban environment, it is striking that Hong Kong has very little in the way of shorthaul feeder buses to rail stations. 128 While CTS3 notes the need for better bus-rail coordination, it makes no mention of the need for dedicated feeder bus services to rail stations, as is common elsewhere in the world. Nor is the concept of integrated fares explored in any detail. Overall, the authors of CTS3 seem to recognize the benefits of better coordination of bus (and public light bus) services with rail, but are reluctant to suggest any specific steps that might be viewed as integration of services across modes. In our view, it is time for government transport planners to either mandate or provide meaningful incentives to promote much greater coordination between bus and rail service and to discourage inefficient duplication of road and rail service (see Chapter 3). Electric trolley buses and trams Although both electric trolley buses and trams have been in use throughout the 20 th century, they fell into disfavor after World War II as urban areas expanded and their peripheries became less dense. This was also a period during which a plentiful supply of inexpensive petroleum existed. Interest in tethered electric road vehicles was rekindled in the 1980s when air pollution associated with internal combustion engines became a major concern. While some people may view trams and trolley buses as vehicles from another era, there has been considerable technological improvement in recent years with regard to comfort, speed, and safety. 126 Transport Department (1999), Third Comprehensive Transport Study: Technical Report. 127 Ibid. 128 As noted in Chapter 3, a related matter is that of bus lines competing with rail along the same routes. The closest CTS3 comes to addressing this point is to cite a 1990 White Paper issued by government that stressed the need to avoid wasteful duplication of transport services. Yet, more than a decade later, little has been done on this issue. Transport Department (1999), Third Comprehensive Transport Study: Technical Report, Section 13.4 and Barron, B., Ng, S., and Kwok, V. (2001), Financing Urban Passenger Rail: An International Survey, Hong Kong: Centre of Urban Planning & Environmental Management, The University of Hong Kong. 41
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SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT FOR HONG KONG
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SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT IN HONG KONG:
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APPENDICES Appendix 1 The Environme
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AUTHORS Bill Barron (wbarron@hkucc.
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REFERENCES Airport Authority Hong K
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Civic Exchange Room 601, Hoseinee H
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