Beijing's environmental watchdog said it considered charging emission fees on vehicles in order to improve air quality and curb rapid car growth.

An official with the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau blamed vehicles for emitting particulate matters.

Statistics from Sunday's Beijing Youth Daily showed Beijing had more than 3.5 million registered vehicles by the end of 2008.

The municipal government was thinking of charging emission fees in accordance with air displacement of vehicle engines and respective emission standards.

However, charging of emission fees should be approved by the government, the official said, adding that a public hearing might be held before the measure is implemented, the paper said.

Beijing takes a temporary restriction on vehicle running in the city. One fifth of the vehicles, mostly private cars, are banned to run on road each day.

Starting from 1998, three Chinese cities, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou and Jilin, introduced the vehicle emission charges on a trial basis. The practice ended in 2003, yielding satisfying results.

(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2009)