The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on Friday unanimously approved a revised ordinance banning diesel-powered commercial vehicles from the streets of Tokyo unless they meet a limit on emissions of carcinogenic particles.
The new measures, the first in Japan regulating emissions from diesel-powered vehicles, will be implemented gradually from April and take full effect in October 2003, metropolitan government officials said.
Speaking at a news conference after the session, Gov. Shintaro Ishihara said, "I think we have come up with the strictest ordinance in the nation and I would like to call on business operators and Tokyo residents to cooperate to make Tokyo's air clean again."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.