HONG KONG

Although with the switchover of minibuses from diesel to lpg , the Hong Kong government would be sacrificing up to us $100 million diesel duty a year, environmentalists say the loss was worth bearing to clean Hong Kong's deteriorating air quality.

It is estimated that the switchover would reduce the amount of breathable pollution particles in the air by 3.6 per cent by 2005 and nitrogen oxide to 1.4 per cent. The estimates are slightly lower than the targets of four per cent and two per cent cuts, respectively, set by Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa. This is because owners of up to 1,400 minibuses might choose to continue using diesel, reveals Lily Yam Kwan Pui-ying, the Secretary for Environment and Food.