The mobile pollutant is one of the main reasons that degrade airquality in city, where smoke from diesel vehicles makes peoplecriticized the most. All vehicles will be audited and controlled in thisProgram. With the improvement on air quality in Taipei City, it willgive a clear and fresh environment for citizens.
For the audit aspect, because the most direct audit method was the roadside check, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA),promoted nation-wide checks on 40,000 vehicles (4,269 vehicles for Taipei City) in 2017. In order to achieve this target, Department of Environment Protection, Taipei City Government enhanced one set of roadside audit equipment and manpower since 2017. This Program not only had assisted in checking 5,870 vehicles in 2017 as well as achieving the contract target, but also accomplished the goal (4,269 vehicles) established by the EPA.
For the subsidy aspect, the EPA promoted the replacement subsidy for the first phase and second phase of old diesel vehicles in 2017, where the targets are 10,000 vehicles. The registration details from the Motor Vehicles Office were found that there were about 80,000 vehicles registered in Taipei City in 2017, where the first phase and second phase of vehicles shared 1.6% and 5.0% (in total of 6.6%), respectively. In order to accelerate the replacement of old vehicles, this operation not only was promoted through the announcements, but also check notices would be entirely sent to the owners of the first phase and second phase of large vehicles in 2017 as well as the information on replacement subsidy was attached. It was expected the vehicle owners can get more familiar with this policy so as to promote the replacement quantity of old vehicles. By April 13, 2018, the target quantity of scrapped vehicle in Taipei City from 2017 to 2018 was 914, where the achieving rate of scrapping was 40.37% (ranking the forth place nationally). Moreover, for the replacement subsidy, this Program had received and reviewed 145 cases with a subsidy amount of NT$38.1 million.
Two types of smoke filter have been installed on the garbage trucks in Taipei City. Regardless of electrically heating smoke filter or fuel-heated smoke filter, opacity can be improved over 99%, displaying that the installation of smoke filter can indeed improve the vehicle pollution condition. In order to improve air pollution and control smoke emission from diesel vehicle, the EPA promoted the certification of smoke filter in 2017 and currently six manufacturers had certified. The third phase of large diesel vehicles installed with the certified smoke filters can be awarded by a subsidy of NT$70,000 to NT$150,000. This Program had controlled 40 companies over 10 vehicles in the third phase (1,317 vehicles). Two meetings had been held to promote the installation of smoke filter. When old vehicles were mailed to actively check, the third phase of large diesel vehicles would be entirely mailed and the information on subsidizing the third phase of large vehicle to install smoke filter would be attached. It was expected that the vehicle owners can get more familiar with this policy. The EPA continuously accepts the application for “Subsidizing large diesel vehicle for the installation of smoke filter”.
In recent years, the EPA encourages all counties and cities can promote Air Quality Clean Zone. In 2017, the EPA announced the low emission zone and put more emphasis on publication and audit. For the publication aspect, not only coordinated with the Taipei City Traffic Engineering Office to display the messages of low emission zone on the Electronic Information Display, but also printed out 16,000 pieces of leaflet and fabricated 79 signs hanged in the low emission zone; the audit aspect had checked 3,698 vehicles in the low emission zone, testing 190 vehicles with a failure rate of 23.7%, better than roadside check with a failure rate of 41.3%.
The acquisition and failure rate of Green Mark at all sections were collected, where two stations (Taipei Bus Station and Taipei City Hall Bus Station) and six places (Taipei 101, National Palace Museum, Yangmingshan, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and National Martyrs’ Shrine) presented the better control effect (buses as control object). The control objects for section between Shinsheng South Road and Songjiang Road were large/small trucks which presented the lower acquisition rate and higher failure rate (26.2%). Department of Environment Protection, Taipei City Government will continuously auditing the section between Shinsheng South Road and Songjiang Road as well as promoting air quality in the low emission zone.
By checking the pollution improvement on failure vehicle and adjusting/repairing the vehicle before check, it was estimated the particulate matter pollutants (PM10) in 2017 can be reduced about 84.57 tons/year, increasing 32.2% (a reduction of 63.96 tons/year in 2016) in comparison with 2016, according to the annul drive mileage suggested by the EPA. It was checked to make no difference of failure vehicles in 2016 and 2017 because Taipei City promoted the low emission zone in 2017, a lot of bus and tour bus were adjusted and repaired (provided with the maintenance and service sheets) in advance to acquire the Green Mark, increasing the reductions.
