More than 1 million automobiles will be banned from driving in Beijing during the Olympic Games in 2008 to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.

 

Liu Xiaoming, vice director of the Beijing Municipal Transportation Committee, said that the ban is expected to reduce the number of vehicles in Beijing by 20 percent to 30 percent during the games.

 

The vehicles belonging to government departments and state-owned enterprises will have restricted access to Beijing's downtown and citizens will be encouraged to reduce the use of private cars, Liu said. Heavily polluting trucks will be banned.

 

During the games free bus service will be available for athletes, spectators and games' volunteers and workers, said Liu.

 

Statistics show that the number of newly registered automobiles in Beijing is growing 1,060 a day. There are currently 2.97 million automobiles in the city. That number is expected to exceed 3.3 million by the time the Olympic Games begin in August 2008.

 

When China-Africa Forum convened in Beijing in November last year, Beijing authorities also restricted the use of vehicles belonging to government departments and state-owned enterprises, and shortened school hours to ease traffic congestion.

 

Half of the business vehicles from central government departments and army vehicles in Beijing, and 80 percent of the cars from the Beijing municipal government departments and the provincial bureaus located in the capital, were banned from the roads during the forum.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2007)