International Law

Car Restrictions in Beijing to Continue

By Stan

So far this Spring, the air here in Beijing has been excellent. The cold weather broke a few days ago, and it has been warm with blue skies ever since. I was out in the suburbs today — you wouldn’t want to change the weather even a little bit.

Apparently the car restrictions that went into effect in the run up to the Olympics will continue for another year. I recall last September, a lot of people were dreaming about a continuance of the rules, but most of us thought it was not going to happen and that business as usual would be back quickly.

Some details of the announcement (h/t China Briefing):

Beijing?s revised restrictions on cars will continue for another year beginning April 13 and will only be enforced on weekdays not including holidays and weekends.

When the new rules are enforced an estimated 930,000 of the city?s 3.6 million vehicles will be off the road on weekdays and will increase driving speed by 10 percent. This should lessen pollution and improve air quality when the measures decrease daily vehicle emissions by 750 tons, or 20 percent.

Not to be a pessimist (ha), but I wonder how much of the good air quality is a result of lower production from local factories because of the economic slowdown? (I’m probably not supposed to ask that question.)

© Stan for China Hearsay, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Full post as published by China Hearsay on April 07, 2009 (boomark / email).