A top Beijing official has denied the city will keep some vehicles off the road from May to reduce pollution and congestion in the run-up to the Olympics, saying it would cause too much disruption to the lives of residents.
The city was still considering when to introduce the traffic control measure, said Beijing vice-mayor Liu Jingmin , a CPPCC delegate, who added 'it will not be adopted too early'.
'Only when the Games are drawing near will we adopt the practice,' Xinhua quoted Mr Liu as saying.
Amid international concerns over air pollution levels in the city, Beijing carried out a four-day test that took around 1.3 million vehicles off the road each day between August 17 and 20 last year in a rehearsal of emergency measures to raise air quality to a tolerable level for the Olympics.
Beijing authorities have said that the traffic control scheme, which saw odd and even-numbered vehicles ordered off the roads in turn, had proved effective in reducing pollution.
