Environment

Beijing's 2009 New Year resolution: scrap polluting cars

by Amy Judd | December 31, 2008 at 10:26 am

778 views | 12 Recommendations | 3 comments

Beijing has made a 2009 New Years Resolution; get rid of more than 350,000 high-polluting vehicles off the inner city streets to ease traffic and air polllution in the city.

As a trial during the Olympic Games, the capital banned cars from the roads about one day for every five, and that did make a significant difference to the emissions in the air.

People who drive 'yellow label' cars, or high emission vehicles, will be fined 100 yuan (about $15) if they are found to be driving within the boundary of the Fifth Ring Road, which is a highway on the city's outskirts. They will be given a three-month grace period to adapt however.

The measure stands to take about 10 percent of the city's cars off the road. Beijing currently has about 3.5 million registered cars.

The government had also drafted a compensation scheme that will give drivers up to 25,000 yuan ($3,600) if they proactively give up their cars during 2009, the paper said.

The city would also provide preferential loans to shipping and transport companies to upgrade their vehicle fleets to meet low-emission standards, the paper said, citing the city's traffic bureau.

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gerrypopplestone

at 20:09 on December 31st, 2008

It's a good start: sadly, they set out on he wrong track by building all the ring roads and encouraging the cars in the first place. And it's difficult to change the mood.

In Thailand, they are slowing building a mass transport system after years and years of talk talk talk. Even now, it is badly co-ordinated. And it will be years before it gets finished. In Bangkok's new modern art gallery, the most interesting (among the superficial trash!) is a mock transport network map of a mythical future transport system. Here's to dreams!