Spaces for subcompacts to be required in January

More cities will require drivers of subcompact cars, or "kei-jidosha," to register parking spaces starting in January, according to a parking ordinance revision approved at Tuesday's Cabinet meeting.

As part of a gradual effort by the National Police Agency to reduce street parking in all cities, the government amended the light car parking registration ordinance to include cities of 200,000 or more as well as those that house prefectural headquarters.

The ordinance will newly apply to 38 cities in addition to areas previously subject to the regulations in Tokyo, Osaka and cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The number of people living in the areas affected by the amended ordinance totals 66 million -- about half the national population.

The NPA hopes to put forward plans to expand the regulations to include cities of 100,000 or more by 2001.