| This photo shows an outdated diesel car being checked its level of emissions in Seoul. Newsis |
The Seoul city government will additionally ban Grade 4 diesel vehicles, the second lowest in the country's five-tier emission standard, from the city's central areas starting in 2025 with a goal of dramatically reducing air pollutants, the mayor said Wednesday.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced the measure as part of a broader air quality improvement project aimed at reducing the ultra-fine particle density in downtown Seoul from 2021's 20 micrograms per cubic meter to 13 by 2030.
Seoul plans to invest 3.8 trillion won ($2.6 billion) through 2030 for the project.
Under the plan, diesel vehicles classified as Grade 4 in the country's five-tier emissions standard will be restricted from the roads in the Jongno and Jung districts starting in 2025.
Grade 4 applies to vehicles that produce 0.5 gram or more of carbon monoxide per kilometer among other pollutants. Cars in that category, currently numbering 81,139 across Seoul, produce six times more fine dust than those by Grade 3 cars.
Currently, Grade 5 diesel vehicles are banned across Seoul from December-March and in the central Seoul areas throughout the year.
In 2030, the city plans to adopt a blanket ban on Grade 4 vehicles across Seoul, while all cars powered by internal combustion engines will be banned in central Seoul starting in 2035 and across the city in 2050, the mayor said.
The air pollution reduction project also includes turning all delivery motorcycles and trucks into electric by 2025 and 2026, respectively, Oh said. (Yonhap)