Beijing Reveals Plan For Olympic Car Ban

BEIJING (AP) — China is detailing plans to get cars off the road and try to clear Beijing’s notoriously sooty air during this summer’s Olympics.

Vehicles will be allowed on the roads every other day, alternating between odd and even registration numbers. That should cut in half the 3.3 million vehicles usually in the city.

Officials are also banning 300,000 heavy-polluting vehicles. Many of the aging industrial trucks operate only at night, but they will banned altogether starting July 1st. The government also plans to pull up to 70 percent of its 300,000 vehicles off the roads.

It’s also placing stringent curbs on construction and heavy industry.

While human rights protests and last month’s earthquake have overshadowed the pollution issue, air quality remains a concern for the games. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has said outdoor endurance events lasting more than an hour will be postponed if air quality is poor.