Good news from China:
Beijing bans yellow label vehicles from its roads 2nd January 2009:
Officials have moved to reduce the number of high-pollution vehicles on the roads of China's capital, it has been reported.
According to China Daily, yellow label vehicles - or those which do not meet the Euro I emission standard - are no longer allowed to be driven inside the 5th Ring Road.
This ban is set to be extended to include the areas encompassed by the 6th Ring Road from October 1st.
As an incentive, yellow label vehicle owners will be rewarded with a £2,567 sweetener if they stop using their vehicles within the designated boundary, and offered a subsidy to help fund the purchase of a more environmentally-friendly alternative.
However, anyone caught driving a yellow label vehicle in the restricted zone following a three-month grace period will be handed a fine.
Du Shaozhong, the deputy director of the environmental protection bureau who announced the new measures at a press conference covered by the news provider, said the ban was "key to improving the air quality in Beijing".
"The new subsidies are designed to encourage people to stop using heavy polluting vehicles," he confirmed.
The importance of the action is illustrated by the fact that although the 353,800 yellow label vehicles on Beijing's roads comprise just ten per cent of the total number, they account for 50 per cent of overall vehicle emissions.
Air pollution levels in Beijing became a major focus in the lead-up to the 2008 Olympics, when some athletes expressed their concerns about air quality.
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