Ban on heavily polluting construction vehicles goes into effect in October
Heavily polluting construction vehicles and machines will be banned at ports and construction sites within Shanghai's Outer Ring Road, the Bureau of Ecology and Environment said on Tuesday.
The latest effort to control air pollution means that by October 2020, the ban will expand to the whole city.
According to the bureau, about 100,000 vehicles and machines operate in areas like ports, factories and construction sites. Over 40 percent of them are diesel-powered and fail to meet the emission standard.
From October 1, construction vehicles and machines that fail to meet the “National I” emission standard – mostly those built before October 2009 – will be banned within the Outer Ring Road.
The bureau started registration of construction vehicles and machines this month and licenses will be given to those that meet emission standards. Vehicles and machines detected operating without licenses from October will be fined 1,000 yuan (US$145) each.
From October 2020, the ban will be applied to the whole city. Vehicles and machines at airports and farmlands shall all meet emission standards by then.
From October 1, construction vehicles and machines that fail to meet the “National I” emission standard will be banned within the Outer Ring Road.
According to a report by the bureau, the average density of Shanghai’s major air pollutant, PM2.5, was 36 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018 — a 7.7 percent drop from the previous year, but still above the national standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter.
“The authorities have already taken many anti-pollution measures, so it will now be even more difficult if we want further improvements,” Shou Ziqi, director of Shanghai Bureau of Ecology and Environment, said in an earlier interview.
Shou said citizens’ environmental protection awareness, including choosing public transport over driving their own cars, plays a crucial part in anti-pollution work.
The authority will also encourage the improvement of fuel quality, and speed up the upgrade of boilers in the downtown area. Manufacturers will also be required to improve their raw materials to cut volatile organic compounds discharge.
