By Li Hongmei
Beijing is to unveil plans for a low-emission zone and vehicle congestion charge by the end of the year, with the measures to come into effect as early as 2015, reports the Beijing Youth Daily.
Beijing has included the proposed scheme in its action plan to reduce air pollution between 2013 and 2017, for which the municipality's transportation and environmental protection authorities will be responsible, the paper said.
The city will also study the possibility of an electronic charging system, the report said.
While transportation officials said details of the congestion charge will be unveiled by the end of this year, environmental officials said they are consulting with experts on whether to adopt a scheme similar to those followed in London or Milan.
In London, the congestion charge is only imposed in some parts of the low-emission zone, while a fee is collected from every driver entering the low-emission zone in Milan.
It is certain that the congestion fee will be a tariff collected on the spot, however, the newspaper said.