This Saturday is Kunming's first no-car day in the year of the rat, with the municipal government announcing a change in hours and an expansion of the once-monthly ban on private cars which will include the area between the city's first and second ring roads, according to announcements in Kunming media.

Beginning this month, no-car days will take place on the last Saturday of each month, with the hours of the event shortened to from 9am to 5 pm. All private cars will be forbidden from entering the center of Kunming – which includes the area within Yieryi Dajie, Huancheng Bei Lu, Huancheng Dong Lu, Huancheng Nan Lu and Xichang Lu.

In a move that should add considerably to the supervision work done by police and volunteers on no-car days, the area between Kunming's first and second ring roads will also be partially restricted to private cars.

Under the new rule, only cars with license plate numbers ending in odd or even numbers will be able to drive between the ring roads on no-car days in odd- or even-numbered months, respectively. Only cars with license plate numbers ending in even numbers will be able to drive between the ring roads this Saturday as February is an even-numbered month.

Image: clzg.cn

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