Older diesel vehicles will not be phased out as long as they meet the emissions standards set in the year they were manufactured, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said on Thursday, following protests over an amendment passed last year that mandated tighter emissions standards.
Su made the announcement after the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) on Thursday unveiled a plan to tackle air pollution caused by diesel vehicles.
For about 20,000 diesel vehicles that fail to meet emission standards, the Cabinet has extended the subsidy for owners to purchase new, less-polluting vehicles, Executive Yuan spokesperson Kolas Yotaka quoted Su as saying.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
EPA Minister Chang Tzi-chin (張子敬) said that with the improvement in the quality of diesel fuel, the sulfur level in it has been reduced from 5,000 parts per million (ppm) to 10ppm.
“About 50 percent of about 80,000 vehicles manufactured before 1993 would be able to meet the Level 4 standards that took effect on Oct. 1, 2006,” Chang said.
There is a five-level emissions standard for diesel trucks, based on the age of the vehicle, with higher levels representing tighter standards.
Level 1 applies to vehicles produced before June 30, 1993; Level 2 to Level 5 are for vehicles produced or imported from July 1, 1993 to June 30, 1999; July 1, 1999 to Sept. 30, 2006; Oct. 1, 2006 to Dec. 31, 2011; and Jan. 1, 2012 to the present respectively.
Another 25 percent of such vehicles would be able to meet the standards after making improvements and upgrades, which leaves just 20,000 vehicles that need to be phased out, which will hopefully be completed by 2022, Chang said.
Originally, only owners of large diesel vehicles manufactured before 1993 were to be eligible for subsidies, but under the EPA’s new plan, owners of those made before 1999 can apply for subsidies for vehicle elimination, replacement or to purchase a used vehicle.
The plan also increases the maximum subsidy per vehicle from NT$350,000 to NT$650,000.
The EPA plans to also offer subsidies for large vehicles to upgrade their fuel-control systems or install other pollution-control equipment.
Among revisions to the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法) in June last year was one that stipulated vehicles 10 years or older would be subject to stricter emission standards, without detailing what new would apply or when they would be implemented.
In a Q&A section on the agency’s Web site two days later, it said that it planned to require diesel trucks 14 years or older to meet the Level 4 emission standard by next year, which upset truck owners and drivers worried that their vehicles would be forced out of service.
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