Officials hope use of license plate scheme matches 'APEC Blue'
Beijing will temporarily implement an odd-even license plate scheme from August 20 to September 3 as part of measures to guarantee air quality during the nation's military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of China's victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45). [Special coverage]
Eighty percent of government vehicles in Beijing will be kept off the road during that period, according to an announcement issued by the Beijing government on Monday.
Private vehicles with odd- and even-numbered license plates will be allowed on the road on alternate days. The scheme will be enforced from 3 am to midnight.
Public vehicles including buses, taxies and police cars are not covered by the scheme, the announcement added.
The capital will increase the number of buses with shorter intervals and improve subway capacity during that period, Rong Jun, a spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport, said on Monday.
The Beijing government had previously announced that it would take measures to ensure good air quality during the parade to match the standards achieved during the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting in November.
During the APEC meeting, the density of PM2.5 particles - a key indicator of air quality - was reduced by a daily average of 50 percent. Netizens called the clearer skies "APEC Blue."
Maintaining high air quality levels is a major consideration during commemorative events because it reflects on the image of the nation and its capital, said a report on the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau's website.
The operations of factories and coal-fired boilers will be limited while some construction activity will be suspended during that period to ensure clear skies, and an alert system will be used to monitor air quality, said the bureau.
Beijing first imposed an odd-even license plate scheme during the 2008 Olympics, which saw 45 percent of the city's vehicles off the road.
The same limits will likewise be imposed when a red alert on air quality occurs. That's when the Air Quality Index exceeds 201 for three consecutive days, the Beijing government vowed in early July as part of its efforts to help clear the sky.
The Beijing Capital International Airport and the smaller Nanyuan Airport will also be closed between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on September 3.
It will be the first non-National Day military parade in Beijing since 1949 and the first military parade held since Chinese President Xi Jinping took office in 2013.
China announced the details of the military parade in June. The Chinese air force is expected to unveil several military planes during the parade, including J-10 and J-15 jet fighters, according to media reports.
