Budapest traffic restrictions to counter pollution from gas crisis

(BUDAPEST) - The mayor of Budapest announced Sunday new traffic restrictions to reduce high pollution levels, prompted by major industries switching to oil consumption during the current gas shortage.

The anti-pollution measure was set to come into force at 11:00 am (1000GMT) on Sunday, Mayor Gabor Demszky announced.

"Cars with odd-numbered car plates will only be allowed to drive on odd calendar days like today, and cars with number plates ending with an even number will have even days," he said.

The restriction, which will be enforced by police, will apply to the entire capital, which counts about two million residents, but not to the ring road around Budapest, he added.

The city of Budapest said it was hoping in this way to improve air quality in the capital, since it could not ask major industrial users to limit their oil consumption at a time when gas supplies from Russia were still at a halt.

Hungary restricted gas consumption to the largest industrial users after Russian gas deliveries via Ukraine came to a complete halt on Tuesday, and the energy ministry requested that factories switch over to alternative fuels, leading to a hike in pollution levels.

Hungary produces about nine million cubic metres of gas per day and is also drawing from its reserves to counter the shortage in Russian gas.