Buses step on the gas, emissions still a worry

A number of natural gas-fueled buses that meet Euro V emission standards will come into service on the 728 line along Chang'an Avenue by the end of February, but environmental experts believe that this is merely a drop in the ocean in the fight to reduce the capital's vehicle emissions.

The 40 buses, produced by Anhui Ankai Group, are undergoing final checks at a maintenance depot under Beijing Public Transport Holdings, the director of the depot, surnamed Chu, said Monday.

"Compared with the old natural gas-fueled buses, the updated engines will help reduce the nitric oxide in vehicle exhaust emissions," said Chu, "and the retired vehicles will be disassembled and recycled."

The 728 line connects Wuyihuayuan, Tongzhou district, to Laoshan in Shijingshan district via Chang'an Avenue, a street that is often badly congested.　　

Beijing municipal government announced that in 2012, vehicle emission standards will be raised to national standard V, which is equivalent to Euro V. Euro V mandates further reductions in vehicle emissions, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.　

In October 2011, about 100 buses, mostly diesel-fueled and which meet Euro V standards, were put into service on three lines in suburban districts, according to the Beijing Morning Post Monday.

Zhang Yuanxun, environmental professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, believes using environmentally friendly vehicles is a good trend, however, it will not effect a noticeable reduction in vehicle emissions.

"The emissions per vehicle may be decreased, but given the frequency of traffic congestion, if the time a vehicle spends on road doesn't decline, the total vehicle emissions will not change," Zhang said.

"A more effective way to reduce emissions is to reduce traffic congestion," he noted.