BEIJING will restrict the number of vehicles on its roads Friday through Monday in a test-run aimed at assessing the feasibility of a ban on cars during next year’s Olympic Games.

Environmental inspectors will measure changes in Beijing’s air quality during the period of the ban, according to the Web site of the Beijing government. Over the period, cars with license plates ending with an even number will be banned from the road Friday and Sunday, while those ending with odd numbers will not be able to drive Saturday and Monday. The rules will be enforced from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. during the period.

Drivers who fail to heed the restrictions will be fined 100 yuan (US$13.2). The scheme is expected to take about 1 million vehicles off the road, the government said, but buses and diplomatic vehicles will be exempt.

Reducing pollution in the capital city has been identified as one of the major challenges facing the government as it prepares to host the Olympics in a year’s time, with international observers expressing concern about the effect that smog and particulate matter will have on athletes.

Apart from reducing traffic, Beijing will also close down nearby thermal power stations and coal-burning industrial facilities in the run-up to the Games.

(SD-Agencies)