Diesel Vehicles

[Anchor Lead]

The government has decided to remove parking fee exemptions and other benefits for diesel vehicles. Also, civilian vehicles will be subject to the mandatory alternate-day driving system when dust pollution is at a serious level.

[Pkg]

The government has announced that diesel vehicles will be banned from the public sector. All the vehicles purchased by the government over the next two years will be green cars while diesel vehicles will be completely banned in the public sector by 2030.

[Soundbite] Yoo Je-cheol(Living Environment Policy Office, Ministry of Environment) : "We will announce early next year a detailed plan to dramatically reduce the percentage of diesel vehicles."

Emergency reduction measures for fine dust will also be toughened. Starting next February, the alternate-day driving system will be enforced not only in the public sector, but also in the private one. This pollution-reduction measure, which is currently enforced only in the Seoul metropolitan area, will be expanded nationwide. In addition, the operation of electric power plants will be further suspended. In the spring season with high levels of fine dust pollution, Samcheonpo No. 5 and 6 plants will be shut down. Those two plants have three times more emission compared to Samcheonpo No. 1 and 2. Fine particulate matters coming from China will be reduced by applying fine dust reduction technologies in cooperation with the Chinese local governments.

[Soundbite] Lee Nak-yeon(Prime Minister) : "Make sure that people can feel the difference by checking to see if these measures are properly implemented. Also, strengthen research and cooperation efforts with China and other neighboring countries."

The government will form a special committee on fine dust countermeasures directly under the Prime Minister's Office and set up a fine dust information center in the Ministry of Environment.