Chinese city limits new car license plates

In an effort to crack down on dirty air, one of China's biggest auto manufacturing centers said it plans to reduce the number of cars on the road. The municipal government of Guangzhou instituted license plate auctions and lotteries in order to effect a 50 percent reduction in new car travel, The New York Times reported Wednesday. "Of course from the government's point of view, we give up some growth, but to achieve better health for all citizens, it is definitely worth it," said Chen Haotian, the vice director of the city's planning agency. The crackdown by China's third largest city is viewed as the most restrictive move so far in efforts by the country's large cities to put quality-of-life issues ahead of short-term economic growth, the Times said. Beijing's municipal government started limiting new license plates at the start of last year when the economy was in danger of overheating. Guangzhou is the first city to act during the current slowdown.