Скачать или смотреть CHINA: BEIJING: SERVICE STATIONS TO PHASE OUT LEADED PETROL

(5 Jun 1997) Mandarin/Nat

China's capital city, Beijing, took a significant step towards cleaning up its air on Sunday.

In an effort to cut emissions from motor vehicle exhausts, the city's service stations will phase out leaded petrol by June 1, 1998.

But almost 300 of the city's 700 stations have already made the switch to unleaded.

Seventeen-hundred new cars hit the road in Beijing every month.

For the city's air quality and traffic congestion, that's bad news.

But the Chinese capital's drivers and residents got some good news this week -- petrol stations in the Greater Beijing area were switching to unleaded.

Over the next year, all of the city's 700 stations will pump only unleaded petrol.

The switch is a significant step to cleaning up Beijing's air pollution.

Those preparing to fill up on Wednesday welcomed the change.

SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
"This unleaded fuel is an important step in improving the environment in Beijing. It will certainly have an impact."
SUPER CAPTION: Tang Mingyu, Beijing driver

One concern in introducing unleaded fuel is the higher price.

Unleaded petrol costs one mao (a tenth of a US cent) more per litre than leaded.

This taxi driver said it would cost him 100 Chinese yuan (12 US dollars) more per month, but he doesn't mind the added cost.

SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
"It (price) won't be a big influence. For example, if I use 400 litres per month, it costs me maybe 100 yuan (12 dollars) more per month. I think that's okay."
SUPER CAPTION: Song Yanping, Capital Taxi Company driver

China is also promoting the installation of catalytic converters in motor vehicles to further reduce emissions.

Most Chinese, however, continue to prefer a different kind of unleaded, emission-free transportation.

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