[NYTr] Beijing stops cars for Games clean air test

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Reuters - Aug 17, 2007
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSPEK17354820070817

Beijing stops cars for Games clean air test

By Wang Nan and Nick Mulvenney

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing embarked on a four-day experiment on Friday
to see if taking 1.3 million cars off the city's streets will
substantially reduce air pollution at next year's Beijing Olympics.

While officials said it would take some time to judge the impact of the
measures, the hazy skies above the Chinese capital suggested they may
need to do more to ensure good air when the world's best athletes
arrive next August.

Beijing is closing down the worst-polluting factories and switching
thousands of homes from coal to gas use but air quality remains the
biggest concern for organizers.

Beijing's car tally hit the 3 million mark in May and more than 1,000
more are registered every day, snarling up the roads and pumping
nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter into the air.

"The traffic restrictions will definitely reduce vehicle pollutants and
will work effectively," Du Shaozhong, spokesman for Beijing's
Environmental Protection Bureau, told reporters.

"The exact evaluation of the facts of the transportation control will
not be released until relevant data is collected and analyzed by the
experts."

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said last
week some endurance events at next year's Games might have to be
postponed if the air quality is not good enough.

"Today's air quality is National Standard Grade 2 -- Grades 1 and 2 are
suitable for any activity," said Du.

An air pollution expert at the World Health Organisation (WHO), however,
was on Friday quoted as saying people with heart problems should think
twice about visiting Beijing as they could face "serious problems"
because of the pollution.

Dr Michal Krzyzanowski said he doubted there would be much improvement
in the city's air quality by Games' time and that the car control
measures might not have too great an effect.

"Particles have the ability of traveling thousands of kilometers in the
air," he told the BBC.

"So it's possible the beneficial effect of cutting the traffic in the
city will be compensated by the transport of pollution from other parts
of China."

 From 6:00 a.m. until midnight on Friday and Sunday, drivers with an
even final digit on their license plate face fines if they take to the
city roads. Odd-numbered cars will be banned on Saturday and Monday.

On Friday at least, the plan appeared to be working, with fewer cars
along the broad, tree-lined avenues.

One traffic policeman told Reuters television he had only picked up one
even-numbered car plate in one and a half hours.

"Today is much faster than it normally is, there aren't as many jams,"
said a bus conductor, while a passenger who normally drives to work said
she would probably use the bus again.

"Its very convenient, actually, it's no more trouble than taking the
car."

Some coaches and athletes are concerned air quality tests in China and
the National Standards do not record levels of ozone and smaller
particulate matter.

"Our National Standard is based on our own situation, our own needs," Du
explained. "But when setting it we also learnt from international
practice.

"We have noticed that these secondary pollutants have some influence on
the human body, so we have taken some measures to reduce these
pollutants."

(Additional reporting by Liu Zhen)

) Reuters 2006. All rights reserved.