부산시보

City Hall implemented a dust control system in December to mitigate and reduce the intensity and frequency of fine dust. It will be ongoing until March.

The system aims to control the base concentration of fine dust by alternating vehicle permissions for workers of the city government. In other words, a vehicle belonging to a civil servant with an odd license plate number will be able to go on the road on odd-numbered days, while vehicles with license plates ending in even numbers will be permitted to drive on even-numbered days. This will be enforced via a regulation that forbids parking in the lots of government buildings. This parking rule does not apply to citizens visiting government offices for official business or to automobiles carrying pregnant women, infants or disabled people.

In addition, City Hall is installing air purifiers in senior citizen centers, nursery facilities and kindergartens. The city is providing approximately 190,000 vulnerable citizens, including low income groups and outdoor workers, with masks.

The ultrafine dust forecast has also changed from a three-day short forecast to a seven-day weekly forecast. From the fourth to seventh day, the new system forecasts the ultrafine dust concentration with two grades: low and high. City Hall anticipates these new systems to aid citizens in preparing for high concentrations of fine dust and to make their plans accordingly.

National air quality information can be checked on the Air Korea Website (www.airkorea.co.kr).

△ Gamgogae Park over Sujeong tunnel.

City Hall is also pushing Busan's various eco-friendly projects, which include more parks and trees that will help to reduce fine dust and urban island heat phenomenon. The Haeundae Arboretum, Green Line Park, as well as Gamgogae Park above Sujeong tunnel, are three examples of such projects.