http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/15603/story.htm Planet Ark : Singapore may tighten auto emissions standards
SINGAPORE: April 23, 2002 SINGAPORE - Singapore may tighten its automobile emissions standards to the Euro III level to promote health and cleaner energy sources, Lim Swee Say, Minister for the Environment said yesterday. Singapore implemented Euro II emissions standards in January, 2001. The standards are based on the regulations for new heavy-duty diesel engines and were first introduced in 1992 by the European Parliament and Council of Environment Ministers. "We are also looking at the introduction of Euro III standards at an appropriate time," said Lim at the launch of the country's first compressed natural gas-powered bus, one that meets the Euro II standard. Tougher standards help limit fine particulate levels, which are hazardous to health. "Fine particulate matter is insidious. These fine particles are able to penetrate deeply into our lungs because of their small size," Lim said. European nations implemented Euro III standards in October 2000 and expect to rise to Euro IV in 2005 and Euro V in 2008. Though a steep registration fee helped to limit the number of automobiles and motorbikes in Singapore to 708,370 last year, Land Transportation Authority data showed, the lungs of Singapore's 4.3 million inhabitants have begun to feel the traffic's effects. Particularly prominent is the exhaust from diesel cargo trucks moving in and out of one of the world's busiest container ports. Half of Singapore's pollution comes from motor vehicle exhaust, and though diesel trucks comprise only 18 percent of all Singapore's vehicles, their emissions account for almost all of the fine particles in the air coming from vehicles, Lim said. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/15605/story.htm Planet Ark : Singapore's first gas-powered bus hits the road SINGAPORE: April 23, 2002 SINGAPORE - Singapore launched its programme to promote natural gas vehicles yesterday as the city-state's first gas-powered bus rolled on to the road, with 11 more planned before the end of the year. The pilot project is run by SembCorp Gas, a unit of SembCorp Industries Ltd, and the Ministry of the Environment. It includes a compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station on Jurong Island, Singapore's petrochemical hub. The pilot buses will be operated by SBS Transit Ltd. Local taxi firms CityCab Pte Ltd and Comfort Transportation Pte Ltd also received 50 licenses each to operate CNG taxis, but have yet to put more environmentally friendly vehicles into service. "The commitment is there, but they are having trouble getting the physical delivery of the taxis," said Francis Gomez, senior vice president of SembCorp Gas and SembCorp Power. Comfort has one CNG taxi, but it has yet to be tested for use, a spokeswoman said. She said the company hoped to get five units on the road in one to two months. CityCab has no CNG taxis, and a spokeswoman said there was no target date for the first one on the road. SembCorp hopes the fledgling programme will expand to about 2,000 vehicles in the next three years and has plans for up to three more filling stations across Singapore. Gomez said the potential for expansion was big, 18,000 taxis and 3,500 buses operate on Singapore's streets. Private CNG vehicles are expected to hit the roads by 2004. He said SembCorp planned to have an island-wide network of CNG stations, either operating independently or as an addition to existing petroleum stations. The pilot programme cost S$2.6 million (US$1.4 million), with government grants covering half the cost, and Gomez said he hopes the government will continue to share the cost of CNG development. "Without government incentives, it is very difficult for the private sector to promote cleaner fuels," he said. SembCorp is also looking at ways of getting involved in CNG markets outside of Singapore, he said. Malaysia and Thailand are both pursuing CNG vehicle programmes. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Stock for $4 and no minimums. FREE Money 2002. http://us.click.yahoo.com/orkH0C/n97DAA/ySSFAA/9bTolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel at WebConX http://www.webconx.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
