China plans to bar government vehicles from using the roads one day a week as part of efforts to conserve energy and curb pollution, China News Service reported on its website today.

The restrictions will be implemented depending on the last digit of the license plates of state-financed cars used by government agencies, the news service said citing a recent joint plan drawn up by 17 ministries including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance.

The excessive use of government cars has long been criticized in China, prompting the central government to issue restrictions in the sector.

Shanghai, Beijing and some other Chinese provinces started to implement similar restrictions on government cars in 2008. But there have been reports that the ban is no longer well implemented in some areas and some local government agencies simply purchased additional cars to avoid the ban.

The latest government plan also called on government workers to walk for a distance of less than 1 kilometer, to ride a bicycle for a trip of less than 3 kilometers and to use public transport if a trip is less than 5 kilometers.

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