Local authorities weed out heavy polluting vehicles

In China, special labels are placed on vehicles that fail to meet the latest emission standards. These cars with outdated engines are dubbed "yellow label vehicles". In a push to clean up China's most polluted province, authorities in Hebei are trying to get these heavy polluters off the roads through generous subsidies and restricted entry zones.

With one look, it's not hard to spot one of these so-called yellow label vehicles. It's estimated one million of these heavily polluting vehicles are still running on roads in North China's Hebei Province, where constant smog is threatening the environment. Most of these vehicles were produced decades ago. Emission standards from that era have long been abolished.

"A yellow label vehicle produces 200 times more carbon monoxide than a common green label vehicle does, and its emissions are equal to about 28 cars today." said Zhao Dongyu, Director, Vehicle Emission Control Center, Shijiazhuang.

This September, the State Council issued plans to curb air pollution. Eliminating all yellow label vehicles by 2017 was one of the measures. To get a jump-start, Hebei Province has brought that deadline forward by two years.

"By 2015, we are going to weed out all gasoline cars registered before 2000 and diesel vehicles registered before 2007." said Liu Yanli, Vice Director, Hebei Traffic Management Bureau.

"We are in a time where green cars are becoming a reality, which makes it hard to believe that there are still so many heavily polluting vehicles on the roads. The problem can't be solved in one day as the interest of car owners must been considered. Luckily, the government has found a more efficient way than just administrative orders." said Ning Hong, Hebei Province.

Most cities have issued restrictions that forbid yellow label vehicles from entering the downtown area.

"I was fined one thousand yuan for entering a restricted area." said Qu Xingfu, Yellow Label Car Owner.

Government cars are among the first group of vehicles to go. Xingtai Police is scraping 200 of its yellow label cars. The provincial government is providing a minimum six thousand yuan subsidy for private car owners to ditch their heavily polluting vehicles.

"I also want to help to reduce air pollution. The subsidy is more than this car is worth." said Qu Xingfu, Yellow Label Car Owner.

So far, Hebei province has disposed over 300 thousand yellow label vehicles. It's estimated that it will lead to a reduction of over 100 tons in heavy air pollutants.