Giving incentives to electric car drivers is seen as a strong measure in addressing Beijing's air pollution problem. (Photo : Reuters)
Beijing policymakers consider a free parking incentive, if not a cheaper fee, for electric car drivers as a way to combat the Chinese capital's concern over air pollution.
In a Beijing Time report, the municipal government is looking forward to finalize the new pricing scheme that they are working on before the end of March.
If legislated, the scheme will allow alternative-fuel car drivers, including those who use hybrid and electric vehicles, to be exempted from parking fees as well as tolls.
In Beijing, parking rates differ from area to area. The most expensive fee for private cars is 10 yuan ($1.6) for the first hour and 15 yuan ($2.4) for the succeeding hours.
The new parking fee scheme is part of the 84 goals set by the local government in its effort to address the air pollution issue in the city. The roadmap for better air quality also includes the deployment of electronically powered buses, which will comprise 70 percent of the new buses that will be released this year.
Another part of the 2015 plan is to reduce the annual average concentration of PM2.5 by at least 5 percent from last year's statistics. PM2.5 is a kind of air pollution that poses serious danger to health if concentrations shoot up.
In 2014, the annual average concentration of pollutants in Beijing was 85.9 micrograms per cubic meter, way higher than that 10-microgram-per-cubic-meter mark regarded by the World Health Organization as a considerably safe figure.
For the recent years, Beijing policymakers have been adamant in combating air pollution. In 2011, the city decided to limit the number of cars by implementing a license plate lottery. In this measure, only those who will win the lottery will become eligible to purchase automobiles.
To date, there are over 5.5 million registered cars in Beijing.
