Beijing starts car restrictions for Olympics

Beijing has begun limiting the number of cars on its roads in an effort to ease air pollution ahead of the Olympics in August, the Financial Times reported. Cars with even- and odd-numbered license plates will be allowed on Beijing’s streets on alternate days up to the games. The city has installed 10,000 traffic cameras and other monitoring devices to watch out for cars violating the restrictions, punishable by a US$14 fine. Construction on the World Trade Tower III, which will be the capital’s tallest building, was suspended, and factories in the area around Beijing have either been suspended or told to reduce output to help clear the air. Beijing has 3.3 million cars, the most of any city in China.