China to Ban High Pollution Cars from Capital
Starting New Year’s Day, Beijing will ban high-emission vehicles from the city.
Beijing will ban some 353,800 vehicles with high emissions from anywhere within the fifth ring road, which circles the city center at a radius of 10-15 km. One in ten cars and trucks in Beijing will be subject to the ban. But, say city officials, those vehicles account for 50 percent of the city’s notoriously bad auto pollution.
The vehicles on the banned list are those that do not meet the Euro I emissions standards set in Europe in the early 90’s. According to Ren Lihong of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, these cars are a big part of Beijing’s pollution problem.
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“Such cars are a major producer of particulate matter,” said Ren, “so the air will be better if they are eliminated, obviously.”
After a three month grace period to adjust to the new restriction, drivers caught with high pollution cars within the fifth ring road will be fined 100 yuan (US$15). That’s 13% of the weekly income of the average Beijinger.
In addition to the ban, Beijing is also introducing a new fuel tax of 0.8 yuan per liter (US$0.45 per gallon). Revenues from the fuel tax will go toward improving the roads and water routes.
But it’s not all bad news for drivers. The government is also offering a carrot to sooth this sting and coax car owners into less polluting vehicles. The city will pay drivers 25,000 yuan–over seven month’s salary for the average person–to stop using their high emissions vehicles in 2009. This reward will be given on a prorated scale, meaning the sooner Beijingers give up the vehicles the more they stand to make. They’ll also get government subsidies to help buy more environmentally friendly cars.
Sources: China takes new policies on car fuel levy (China Daily); Polluting cars to be phased out (China Daily via Reuters)
Image: MK Media Productions via Flickr, under a Creative Commons license.
I am a new adimirador the events, my job and guided the export market Importaçao & focused on non-polluting products, I believe that humanity came to a goal of living and better respect the environment. congratulate all who are involved in this process.
Belmiro Boldt
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