China´s capital city strives to clear skies

Source: Xinhua | 05-02-2009 08:44

By Huma Sheikh

BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Clearing the skies has been a major cause for concern for Beijing. The capital city has recently put in place a new pollution limits regulation for cars in Beijing to control climate-changing gases.

Thousands of cars a day add to the list of Beijing's millions of vehicles, setting the stage for more pollution and traffic jam woes. The capital city is the hardest hit by the sweeping number of cars and during the peak time, a five-kilometer stretch could take a passenger a couple of hours to cover it.

The new traffic rule follows the earlier Olympic and post-Olympic restrictions on vehicles. In order to help improve air quality during the Olympics and Paralympics last year, Beijing restricted use of vehicles through a system based on odd, even numbers.

The system, which was in place from July 20 to September 20 in 2008, allowed cars with even number as their last digit on the number plate to hit the roads on even number days while cars with an odd last digit number would run on odd number days. The rule applied to an odd-even license plate system alternately. The rules were, however not applied to public buses, taxis, long-distance transportation and police cars, fire trucks, ambulance, wrecking cars or Olympic-used cars.

During the two-month period, the system helped limit 45 percent cars and cleared the skies. But as the ban was lifted on September 20, traffic jams resumed.