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Starting July 20, vehicles with license plates ending in an even number can enter the city only on even-numbered days, and those with odd-numbered license plates on odd days. The rule applies to all vehicles except buses, taxies and those driven by people with disabilities. Cars bearing yellow stickers – indicating failure to pass an emissions inspection – are banned from the roads altogether for two months.
These measures are expected to reduce exhaust emissions on the roads by two-thirds. State-run China Central Television reported that the measures would reduce the number of vehicles on the roads by about 2 million.
First-day results were heartening as the capital experienced unusually clear skies. But Du Shaozhong, deputy director of the City Environmental Protection Bureau, said it would take 20 days for air-quality monitors to show real results. He said the policy would surely improve the air quality, however, as it did when implemented on previous occasions like the Asian Games.
Environmental experts estimate that the even-odd policy could reduce vehicle emissions by 63 percent, preventing about 118,000 tons of exhaust from dirtying Beijing’s air during the games.
On the other hand, two new subway routes went into operation the same day the new road rules took effect. These include an airport line and one new domestic line, but not yet the special Olympic Line that will open soon. The three lines, which cost 22.3 billion yuan (US$ 3.3 billion), are part of the infrastructure built to relieve heavy traffic during the Olympics.
These new lines increase the city’s subway service to eight lines covering 200 kilometers, a 40 percent increase in the distance previously covered by the underground trains. Beijing subways currently average 3.4 million passengers per day, but during the Olympics the figures may be 5 to 6 million passengers.
The Olympic Line will be open to athletes and coaches, accredited media professionals, Olympic volunteers and staff without charge until Sept. 20. People holding Olympic Games tickets can also use it from Aug. 8 to Sept. 20 for free. After that, it will open to ordinary people.
Although the Beijing Subway Company has upgraded all the existing lines – the earliest of which were built in the 1960s – some of the subway carriages and stations still have no air conditioning. Moreover, there was a breakdown recently on Line 2, one of the city’s oldest lines. The deputy general manager of the company explained at a press conference that the newly updated facilities needed a trial period to ensure their efficient functioning.
As for Beijing’s heavily congested roads, special “Olympic lanes” have been created exclusively for Olympics-related traffic. Only special buses will be allowed to run in these lanes – other vehicles will be fined up to 1,800 yuan (US$265) if caught using the lanes.
In addition, a temporary policy in effect from July 8 to Oct. 16 stipulates that anyone involved in a minor traffic accident should quickly move their vehicle off the road. The usual practice is for drivers to wait for police to arrive before moving the cars involved in an accident, which sometimes leads to huge traffic jams.
People’s working hours have also been staggered to help alleviate rush-hour congestion in the city. From July 20 to Sept. 20 – except for government offices, schools and some public institutions, which open earlier – state-owned enterprises are to open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. while other public institutions and social organizations will open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Big shopping centers are to delay their opening time to 10 a.m. and expand their evening business hours. Other offices are encouraged to experiment with flextime or adjust their hours in other ways.
In another critical action, authorities have closed or slowed operations at the city’s most polluting factories, as well as those in neighboring provinces and cities. This affects iron and steel plants, cement plants, quarries, lime plants, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, steam-power plants, coal mines, coke plants and power plants. This policy will remain in effect for two months.
The Shougang Group, which produces iron and steel and was the top polluter in Beijing, has been relocated to Hebei province and ordered to reduce output by 50 percent during the games. Other factories in the vicinity of the capital will reduce operations as much as 73 percent.
All construction within Beijing that is not related to the Olympics has also been discontinued since July 20. The millions of migrant workers that work on the city’s construction projects are being ordered to leave Beijing during the games. Also, heavy trucks and other vehicles with high levels of emissions have been stopped from entering the city for two months.
“These measures should be able to clean the air,” said the director of the China project at the Natural Resources Defense Council in the United Sates. He expressed the hope, however that after the Olympics China would continue to work on environmental protection, rather than simply returning to business as usual as soon as the Olympics are over.
