BEIJING – The Beijing city government said Monday it has ordered half of its cars off the road ahead of the Olympics in an effort to clean up the air for the games and save energy.
Half of all government and Communist Party cars will not be used from Monday until July 19, the city said in a notice on its Web site.
On July 20 another regulation kicks in that will allow vehicles on the road only on odd or even days, depending on their license plate numbers.
"To meet the air quality standards and to realize safe and smooth traffic is our solemn promise to the international community," the Beijing government notice said.
New sports venues and $40 billion spent to improve China’s infrastructure have not disguised the fact that Beijing’s air quality remains a contentious issue for the games.
International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said earlier that outdoor endurance events lasting more than an hour will be postponed if air quality is poor.
Organizers announced details last week of a plan to pull half of Beijing’s 3.3 million vehicles off the roads during the Olympics to help clean the city’s air for the games.
The auto ban is part of an anti-pollution plan that also will halt construction and heavy industry during the Olympics, which begin in seven weeks.
In addition, 300,000 heavy polluting vehicles — aging industrial trucks, many of which operate only at night — will be banned starting July 1.
At a meeting last week China’s State Council urged government departments to cut oil use as part of China’s plans to create a more energy-efficient society. Departments were also urged to cut the oil consumption of public vehicles by 20 percent, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
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