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MOTC hails drop in transport sector's carbon emissions

Emissions of carbon dioxide in the transportation sector fell by 160,000 tonnes last year compared with the previous year, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) said yesterday, attributing the result to the introduction of a series of energy-saving measures.

In keeping with the Kyoto Protocol -- a UN agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that came into force on Feb. 16, 2005, under the Framework Convention on Climate Change -- the ministry began an energy-saving drive targeting vehicles.

As a result of the drive, 39 action plans were brought forward in 2005 to address three goals: developing "green" transportation systems, slowing the rise in the number and use of motor vehicles, and improving the efficiency of transportation systems, the ministry said.

To encourage public transportation service operators to introduce low-pollution automobiles, the ministry provided businesses using environmentally friendly motor vehicles with extra points in their applications for the right to offer commercial transportation services on certain roads, such as the Taipei-Ilan Expressway.

The ministry Institute of Transportation has also worked to establish a Web site to publicize ideas touching on "green transportation" in the hope that more and more people will choose to travel using public transportation systems, bicycling, or walking.
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