Gyeonggi-do to 'Restrict Operation' of Grade 5 Emission Vehicles Until March Next Year

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] From December this year to March next year, nationwide emission grade 5 vehicles without emission reduction devices attached will be restricted from operating in Gyeonggi-do. Violators will be fined 100,000 KRW per day.

Gyeonggi-do announced on the 28th that it will implement the 3rd Seasonal Fine Dust Management System with these details from December 1 to March 31 next year.

The restricted vehicles are emission grade 5 vehicles without low-emission measures, and the restricted operating hours are weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

Real-time enforcement will be conducted through 'Old Diesel Vehicle Enforcement Cameras' installed throughout the roads.

Grade 5 vehicles that could not attach reduction devices or were temporarily exempted from enforcement by only applying for low-emission measures will be included in the enforcement target during this 3rd Seasonal Fine Dust Management System period.

However, emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances, vehicles for persons with disabilities that meet legal standards, and vehicles of national merit recipients are excluded from enforcement.

To alleviate the burden on livelihood-type vehicle owners, vehicles registered as recipients of basic livelihood security, lower-income classes, and small business owners will also not be enforced.

Additionally, vehicles outside the metropolitan area, where low-emission measures were delayed due to local government budget shortages, will be exempted from fines if the measures are completed by September 30 next year.

If a new vehicle contract was made to replace an emission grade 5 vehicle but the delivery of the new vehicle is delayed, the fine imposition will also be postponed.

The province is concurrently promoting policies to encourage the attachment of emission reduction devices and vehicle replacement.

Subsidies are provided for grade 5 vehicles that attach emission reduction devices or are scrapped early, and an additional 600,000 KRW is supported for vehicles that can only be scrapped early because they cannot attach reduction devices.

If a grade 5 diesel vehicle owner purchases an electric or hydrogen vehicle (passenger car), an additional subsidy of 2 million KRW is provided on top of the basic subsidy, and if replaced with an LPG 1-ton truck, 4 million KRW (3 million KRW from next year) is supported.

Park Dae-geun, head of the Fine Dust Countermeasures Division of the province, said, "The Seasonal Fine Dust Management System is a preventive management measure implemented to complement the limitations of emergency fine dust reduction measures," and urged, "We ask all residents to actively participate so that everyone can live a healthy life."