Beijing speeds up elimination of old cars through higher subsidy

The city of Beijing recently accelerated the scrapping of old cars through raising subsidies, according to a press conference in Beijing on Sept 11.

As part of a campaign to improve the capital’s air quality, drivers in Beijing who scrapped old cars in the past could receive up to 7,000 yuan ($1,138) to 16,500 yuan.

Now, those who part with cars used for more than six years will receive subsidies that range in value from 9,500 yuan to 21,500 yuan.

The new policy, an upgraded one of the policy that made in 2011, was put into practice on Sept 15 and will last until Oct 31. It encourages drivers to scrap their old cars that have been on the road for more than six years and which pollute the environment far more than new ones.

"The subsidy of scrapping old cars almost equals what one can earn from selling those old vehicles outside the capital," said Li Kunsheng, director of the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau’s department of motor vehicles, "and the latter takes a lot of doing."

The city has planned a total of 1 billion yuan to encourage the scrapping of old cars for 2014. As of the end of this August, more than 1.13 million old cars had been scrapped, which reduced by 382,400 tons the presence of major air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide as well as particulate matter.