Chengdu in China faces backlash over ‘dirty car’ ban in city clean-up campaign
- Dust on the roof, mud on the wheels, and stains on a car’s exterior are in the sights of Chengdu authorities, who will dole out punishments to offenders
- Cars found to not meet the criteria for being clean will be banned from the city
Residents of the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu have lashed out at a government ban on people driving “dirty cars”.
From Tuesday, vehicles that have “apparent stains, dirt or mud on the exterior” or “dust on the roof”, “mud on the wheels, wheel guards or chassis” would be forbidden from entering seven major districts of the southwestern capital of Sichuan province.
The directive to regulate the appearance of vehicles on its roads was ordered jointly by four local government departments, in a bid to clean up the city’s image. It stated the car clean-up campaign would “improve air quality”, “maintain a clean appearance of the city” and “control road dust”.
But city residents have taken to social media to voice their concerns that the directive exerted excessive control over their daily lives.
“So, can I walk in the street if I don’t wash my hair and face?” one internet user posted on Weibo.
Others cynically observed that the clean-up campaign was simply a ploy to boost the city’s car washing sector.
