The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic GamesAugust 8-24 2008
(BEIJING, August 18) -- Parking more than one million cars does have an impact.
And Beijing's air became cleaner thanks to improvements in traffic conditions amid the city's drive to get half of the city's more than three million vehicles off the road.
The pollution index for August 16 - the day before the new measures were put in effect - stood at 116, which means Grade III or "slightly polluted" according to China's national standards.
This fell to 91 on August 17 - meaning the day's air quality was Grade II or "good" according to monitoring results from noon of the previous day to noon on the 17th. This according to the Beijing Environmental Protection Monitoring Center.
"The dramatic improvement vividly demonstrated that the traffic curb was effective, as meteorological diffusions were similar for both days", said Du Shaozhong, vice-director of Beijing Environmental Protection bureau.
Beijing cut the number of vehicles on the city streets by 1.3 million during a four-day test to ease traffic congestion and scientifically monitor how much the air quality changes.
From 17-20 August, 70 percent of government and enterprise-owned vehicles will be ordered off the roads, and personal vehicles must follow a new even/off license plate system
On August 17 and 19 (Friday and Sunday) only vehicles with a license plate number ending with an odd numeral was allowed on the roads … and on August 18 and 20 (Saturday and Monday) they will be replaced by automobiles with plates ending with an even number.
In view of Beijing's total vehicle volume of 3.05 million - of which 2.46 million are privately-owned - the number of the vehicles taken off the roads is expected to reach 1.3 million.
To manage an additional two million passengers that usually use private cars as their primary form of transportation, the city's public transit system added between 700 to 800 additional buses and extended rush hour services of Beijing's 114-kilometer subway system by one hour in the morning and three hours in the evening.
The government hopes to scientifically gauge the reduction of emissions by 40 percent and an increase of traffic speed to an average of 33 kilometers – all to accumulate operational experience to ensure a favorable environment for next summer's Olympic Games.
| API | Air Quality | Grade | Health Impact | Measures Suggested |
| 0-50 | Excellent | 1 | Daily activities not affected | None |
| 51-100 | Good | 2 | ||
| 101-150 | Slightly Polluted | 3A | Breathing of seniors may be aggravated slightly, while healthy people may feel slightly uncomfortable. | Cardiac and respiratory patients should refrain from outdoor activities. |
| 151-200 | Light Polluted | 3B | ||
| 201-250 | Moderate Polluted | 4A | Individuals suffering from heart and lung disease will be aggravated with a drop in endurance. Healthy individuals may also have difficulty breathing. | Seniors, cardiac and lung disease patients should stay indoors and reduce physical activities. |
| 251-300 | Moderate-Heavy Polluted | 4B | ||
| 300+ | Heavy Polluted | 5 | Endurance of healthy people will drop. Strong symptoms and early warning signs of lung damage may appear. | Seniors and cardiac and lung disease patients should stay indoors and avoid any strenuous movement; ordinary residents should avoid outdoor activities. |
