Beijing Vows to Curb Dirty Vehicles - New Year's Resolutions

by JOSH LOPOSER
Jan 5th 2009 @ 8:00AM

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, News

After the embarrassing, globally televised, smog drama that led up to last year's Olympic Games, officials inGrayjing Beijing have been increasingly self-conscious about their metropolis' horrendous traffic problem and clouds of toxic smog. Among the few measures that Beijing has undertaken since the games, the focus seems to fall mostly on vehicles, not industry. Fromconfiscating scooters to limiting the days on which citizens can drive, some of the capital city's policies are more popular than others.

The latest move by city officials seeks to eliminate about 10% of the highest polluting cars on the road. These jalopies, referred to as "yellow label" cars, have a three month grace period to find their way out of the city and take up residence in the burbs. Starting in April, stinky yellow label vehicles caught driving inside of the capital's Fifth Ring Road will be fined 100 yuan (about $15). I know it doesn't seem like much, but remember: this is Beijing we're talking about. Drivers can take advantage of some pretty nice incentives if they proactively give up their cars in 2009.

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