Beijing to study stricter traffic restrictions based on zones and time periods
On Mar 28, 2013, Beijing — This morning, the city officially released the “2013 Beijing Clean Air Action Plan (Including Supplementary Measures) Task Breakdown Table.” The reporter noticed that the clean air action plan including supplementary measures increased from 52 to 69 items. New measures include “studying stricter traffic restrictions based on zones and time periods” and “incorporating emergency response for heavy air pollution into the city’s unified emergency system and establishing a special command center for heavy air pollution emergencies.”
The city will also explore adding fees for construction dust, catering fumes, volatile organic compounds, and other pollutants, while raising existing emission charges. This year, the public transportation system will pilot buses meeting Euro VI standards.
Number of tasks increased to 69 Stricter zone- and time-based vehicle restrictions proposed
According to the goals outlined in the “2013 Clean Air Action Plan (Including Supplementary Measures) Task Breakdown Table,” the city’s overall air quality is expected to continue improving this year, with an average reduction of 2% in annual concentrations of major pollutants; sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions are both targeted to be cut by 2% year-on-year.
The reporter noted that the 2013 Clean Air Action Plan, after the addition of supplementary measures, increased from the original 52 to 69 items. The new measures include: completing the site selection and construction of substations and the transformation of transmission and distribution networks; formulating the city’s implementation plan for loose coal management and liberalizing the supply of bottled liquefied gas; continuing the current odd-even license plate traffic restrictions and restricted driving zones for yellow-label vehicles; studying stricter traffic restrictions based on zones and time periods, and refining the management policies for out-of-town vehicles used in Beijing.
Refining quarterly targets for district, county, and municipal office bureaus
The “2013 Beijing Clean Air Action Plan (Including Supplementary Measures)” is led by agencies such as the Municipal Development and Reform Commission, the Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, and the Municipal Commission of Transport, along with district and county governments. Responsible entities include municipal departments such as the Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, the Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and the Beijing Municipal Rail Transit Construction Management Co., Ltd., as well as all district and county governments.
The reporter noted that compared to the previous clean air action plan, the new plan with supplementary measures not only retains the completion deadlines for each measure but also refines quarterly progress targets for each unit. For example, for the measure “completing the conversion of 44,000 coal-burning households in the urban core area to electric heating,” by the end of the first quarter, the Dongcheng and Xicheng districts are to formulate implementation plans; by the end of the second quarter, the two districts are to complete household surveys for the 44,000 residents and begin indoor wiring renovations; by the end of the third quarter, the two districts are to complete over 70% of the task volume; and by the end of the fourth quarter, all 44,000 electric heating conversions are to be completed.