Beijing traffic plan tests commuters

BEIJING, China (AP) -- Morning haze hung over Beijing on Monday, the first workday for restrictions on car use under a bold plan to clear the Olympic city of its notorious smog-choked skies.

Under a two-month plan that started Sunday, half of the capital's 3.3 million cars will be removed from city streets on alternate days, depending on whether the license plate ends in an odd or even number.

It could be several days before the impact of the clean-up plan -- which includes cutbacks on construction and factory closures -- can be seen, whether that means less traffic on the roads or cleaner skies over the city.

Also, while the government has said it hopes to reduce vehicle emissions, one of Beijing's chief sources of pollution, it is unclear how the effectiveness of the plan will be gauged. The government has not made public a specific target for emissions levels or said how it will measure air quality.

Drivers with odd numbers plates were forced to take public transportation but said it was not as crowded as they had expected. Watch how the traffic plan is being carried out »

"It seems that the subway isn't as busy as I expected. There are fans and air conditioning, so you don't feel very hot," said Chen Songde, who normally drives to work in Beijing.

Besides the traffic plan, chemical plants, power stations and foundries had to cut emissions by 30 percent beginning Sunday. Dust-spewing construction in the capital was to stop entirely. Read more on clearing the skies in Beijing

Those caught driving on days they should not will be fined $14, a pricey penalty even for Beijing.

Despite architecturally adventurous venues and $40 billion spent on improving infrastructure, China's greatest challenge has been keeping the city's air clean for the world's greatest athletes participating in the August 8-24 games. Instead of blue skies, Beijing's skyline is normally shrouded with a thick gray haze. See some of the venues China has built for the Olympics »

Already, many competitors are choosing to train away from Beijing, and International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge has said outdoor endurance events lasting more than an hour will be postponed if air quality is poor. Watch Rogge tell CNN that postponing events is a possibility »

The world's greatest distance runner, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, has decided not to run the marathon event because the city's pollution irritates his breathing.

Some 300,000 heavily polluting vehicles -- aging industrial trucks, many of which operate only at night -- were banned beginning July 1.

The government has also improved public transportation options for the estimated 4 million extra people who will be off the roads because of the traffic plan, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The subways Monday may not have been as crowded as originally expected because employers have been asked to stagger work schedules, and public institutions will open an hour later than normal.

The city plans to add up to 3,000 more buses by the time the Olympics start, raising the daily capacity for passengers from 12.5 million to 15 million, it said.

Two new subway lines and an airport rail link were opened on Saturday, with the projected number of passengers on the three routes expected to reach 1.1 million daily during the Olympics.

Experts say the city cleanup measures could still go wrong because unpredictable winds might blow pollution into Beijing, or the lack of wind -- common in August -- could enable local pollution to build up.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

All About China