Taiwan tropical isle going green with vehicle ban

Travelers to a tiny tropical island off Taiwan can soon expect its air quality to match the pristine marine attractions, under an initiative to replace gasoline-powered vehicles with electric ones. Over the coming three years, Pingtung county in southern Taiwan plans to spend NT$300-500 million (US$9.34-15.57 million) to phase out all petrol-powered scooters, cars and buses on the islet of Liuqiu, Country Official Chung Chia-pin said. Electric scooters will be available to the roughly 300,000 tourists who visit Liuqiu every year and county leaders have already arranged 400 electric-powered scooters, and offered subsidies, for the 12,000 islanders to buy them. (November 20, 2009)