Shanghai Curbs State Cars

China’s biggest city will clear its air a bit next month, adopting a weaker version of Beijing’s driving restrictions. Vehicles owned by the government or state-owned entities will be banned from the streets one day a week, with drivers of private cars “encouraged” to follow the same rules, an official said. In Beijing, strict temporary driving bans helped dramatically cut the capital’s notorious air pollution during the August Olympics. This month, Beijing enacted a less stringent permanent plan to reduce the number of vehicles on the road; unlike Shanghai’s, it applies to private as well as publicly owned vehicles.