Cars halted for Beijing's Olympic smog-free drill

CHINA WATCH Beijing car drivers are hurry-scurry at the moment. From August 17 to 20, about 1.3 million vehicles – nearly half of the total 3 million in the city – will be ordered off the roads as part of pre-Olympic tests, according to Chinadaily.

On August 17 and 19 (Friday and Sunday), only vehicles with the license plate number ending with an odd numeral will be allowed on the roads.

On August 18 and August 20 (Saturday and Monday), it’s plates ending with an even number.
My colleagues are complaining about this drill.

“Both my cars end with odd numeral. It may cost me and my husband about 100 yuan to take taxi to work,” my friend Amy was busy calculating.

“I drive my car to a nightclub, and then the next morning I can’t drive it back home? That’s ridiculous!” another said.

Greenbang thinks why not just ban the government vehicles as China did last year. Last November, Beijing imposed a six-day ban on at least 490,000 government vehicles and advised private drivers to take buses to make way for a summit meeting of Chinese and African leaders. Traffic was surprisingly smooth even in the busiest areas during the week and the air quality evaluated was much better.

Greenbang likes that policy as she walks to work everyday anyway 🙂