Traffic restrictions brought into effect in Beijing

Beijing: Traffic restrictions and factory closures were brought into effect in Beijing on Sunday, in an attempt to convert the Chinese capital into the promised "pollution-free venue" for next month's Olympics.

Volunteers are being hired to help tourists and police with unwanted behaviour, such as littering. Games organisers are banking on the last-minute restrictions to create the perfect atmosphere for the athletes during the Games.

The new rules banned cars on alternate days, depending on whether their licence plates end with an odd or even number. Many cars have been impounded and all cement work has been closed.

Taxi drivers are pleased with the new rule, since it reduces traffic jams and increases the number of customers. However, residents who will have to pile onto the city's public transport were not so excited.

The government hopes to take 45 per cent of the city's cars off the roads and reduce emissions by two-thirds until the end of the Games in mid-September.

Drivers who violate the rules will be caught by a high-tech surveillance network and fined. More than 10,000 "smart devices" have been installed, including cameras, ultrasonic and microwave scanners on major roads.