The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Beijing

The Beijing city government said Monday it had ordered half of its cars off the road leading up to the Olympics in an early effort to clean up the air for the games and save energy.

Half of all government and Communist Party cars will not be used starting Monday until July 19, the city said in a notice on its Web site.

From July 20, another regulation kicks in that will allow vehicles on the road only on odd or even days, depending on their license plate number.

"To meet the air quality standards and to realize safe and smooth traffic is our solemn promise to the international community," the Beijing government notice said.

New sports venues and US$40 billion spent to improve China's infrastructure have not disguised the fact that Beijing's air quality remains a contentious issue for the games.

Organizers announced details last week of a plan to pull half of Beijing's 3.3 million vehicles off the roads during the Olympics to help clean the city's noxious air for the games.Under one plan, vehicles will be allowed on the roads on alternate days - according to even or odd car registration numbers - from July 20 until Sept. 20.

In addition, 300,000 heavy polluting vehicles - aging industrial trucks, many of which operate only at night - will be banned from July 1.

The order also follows a meeting last week of China's State Council that urged government departments to cut their oil use, as part of China's plans to create a more energy efficient society.

They were urged to cut the oil consumption of public vehicles by 20 percent, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.