Seoul City, restricts diesel cars for improvement in fine dust levels

From today-- owners of old diesel cars will be banned from driving around the South Korean capital on days with bad air quality. The move is part of ongoing efforts to reduce levels of ultrafine dust that choke the city's residents on an increasingly regular basis. Seo Bo-bin explains further. The Seoul government has rolled out a new measure to restrict people from driving old diesel-powered vehicles in the capital when emergency fine dust measures are in place. Starting Friday, diesel vehicles registered before December 2005 will be banned from Seoul from 6 a.m to 9 p.m. on days with high levels of fine dust.The city has installed an enforcement system in thirty-seven areas so far and anyone violating the measures will be fined 100-thousand won. "The Seoul government is implementing these restrictions on older diesel-powered vehicles with the aim of reducing the levels of fine dust pollution in the city." Seoul city's Air Quality Management Division has been planning such measures for months. "Starting 2012, the Seoul government decided to restrict older diesel-powered cars under the Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement Act. According to the Seoul city's fine dust analysis, old diesel cars are a key cause of environmental pollution, so they are being restricted… Under the new measure, we hope to see a reduction in fine dust levels, this is the most important measure, we expect to see at least a 20~40% reduction." The government has said that diesel vehicles that weigh less than two-point-five tons and those driven by the disabled will have a grace period until February next year to install emission reduction devices on their vehicles. But some Koreans believe there is still room for improvement. "Through the government policy, the levels of fine dust can be reduced but not eliminated… Unless the environment and the factors causing fine dust pollution are improved dramatically, it would be difficult to see change." "I don't think the Seoul government is doing an extremely good job, but at the government level it seems like they are doing their best." The city is also looking at extending the scope of the vehicles subject to the restriction and bringing in tougher regulations.Seo Bo-bin, Arirang News.