Over 300,000 polluting cars banned for Olympics

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - Beijing has banned more than 300,000 cars from its roads since July 1 as part of its efforts to improve air quality during the Olympic Games, which begin on Aug 8, said an official with the local transport authority.

Zhou Zhengyu, the deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Committee of Communications, said at a news conference that the city has targeted those vehicles that fail to comply with local pollution emission standards.

Beijing's air quality has been one of the major concerns in the run-up to the Games, and local officials have been trying to reassure international athletes that their health will not be put at risk by pollution.

Much of the city's heavy industry will also be shut down over the Olympic period.

Apart from cracking down on non-compliant cars, the city has already halved the fleet of government vehicles. On July 1, it also banned large-scale freight vehicles from entering the city center, forcing them to make detours to outlying suburbs.

However, the city will make exceptions for those vehicles delivering food supplies and other essential products, Zhou said.

The official also noted that from July 20, the authorities will limit the number of cars on the city's roads using an odd-even number plate scheme. It will also set up special 'Olympic lanes' on major roads close to Olympic venues.

'It should be said that the implementation of these measures will ensure the objective requirements of the Olympic Games, because during the Games, our transport services and transport volume will experience a very large increase,' Zhou said.

However, the city has no plans to extend any of the traffic regulations beyond the Olympic period, which ends on Sept 20, Zhou said.