Beijing to ban half of private cars on high-pollution days

Beijing will ban half of its private cars and 80 percent of public vehicles from the roads if a red alert is issued on days of persistent pollution, the capital's information office said on Tuesday.

Private vehicles will be barred from using the roads, based on odd and even license plate numbers, when pollution is predicted to linger in the city for three or more days.

Public transport, including buses and subway trains, will extend service time by 30 minutes and increase the number of backup vehicles and trains on days of persistent pollution to meet the increased demand.