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Shanghai restricts urban traffic after Beijing

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-17 09:09

Shanghai is to adopt a watered-down version of the capital's traffic restrictions in a bid to clean the air, clear the roads and save energy.

Starting next month, vehicles belonging to the government or State-owned enterprises will be banned from the roads on one out of five weekdays in a system based on license plate numbers.

Unlike in Beijing, Shanghai's curbs will not apply to private cars even though "Shanghai's private vehicles are encouraged to follow the restrictions", Xinhua News Agency quoted an official as saying.

Beijing introduced its restrictions after taking half the city's cars off the roads during the Olympics, freeing up traffic on roads and clearing the air.

When the new traffic restrictions were introduced in the capital on Monday, up to 800,000 cars were taken off the road.

Agencies