The Taoyuan City Government is to start its Autonomous Regulations on Developing Taoyuan City as a Low-Carbon-Emission and Green City (桃園市發展低碳綠色城市自治條例) plan next year.
Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) made the announcement during a city council meeting last week, saying that “developing policies to achieve low carbon emissions and ‘green’ city status is a flagship project of the municipal administration,” and the regulations, which were passed by the council at the end of December last year, are to take effect next year.
Cheng said there are five main pillars for Taoyuan’s development of “green” energy and low-carbon emissions: low-carbon living, low-carbon architecture, low-carbon industries, low-carbon transportation and a renewable-energy city, which would be implemented by the city government in coordination with different departments.
The Taoyuan Department of Environment Protection said the regulations would encourage schools to opt for locally produced food to reduce their transport carbon footprint, require large temples and retailers to install air-pollution detection systems for PM2.5 — particulate matter measuring 25 micrometers or less in diameter — encourage retailers and convenience stores to obtain “green business” certificates and prioritize eco-friendly products, while hotels that are “green certified” would have to display eco-friendly products or advise customers to bring their own personal hygine items, or face a fine up to NT$30,000.
Department officials said that Taoyuan would join Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung as cities that promote low carbon-emission practices and “green” architecture through the use of new regulations and penalties.
According to the new regulations, diesel automobiles manufactured before July 1999 could be subject to random exhaust emission testing by the Taoyuan Department of Environmental Protection.
Diesel automobiles that are reported for emitting black smoke more than twice in one year could be subjected to mandatory examination, and a failure to pass emissions tests would be punishable by a fine of up to NT$20,000, the regulations state.
The ordinance also gives the municipal government the authority to designate certain sections of roads and regions at certain periods of time only to pedestrians or low-emission vehicles.
Starting from Jan. 1 next year, the city government’s enforcement agencies would carry out inspections, and refusing an inspection would be punishable by a fine of NT$30,000 per violation, officials said.
Public parking lots in the municipality will also have to provide priority spaces for bicycles and low-emission motor vehicles, municipal officials have said.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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