Car owners return extra subsidies

BEIJING - The municipal government reclaimed more than 3 million yuan ($472,000) from vehicle owners since early October. The money was handed out as extra subsidies by mistake to car owners who scrapped their old vehicles.

It is estimated that an extra amount of nearly 7 million yuan was mistakenly handed out to more than 1,700 vehicle owners in the capital city, due to "negligence of work staff".

The Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau was giving away a government subsidy between 2,500 yuan and 14,500 yuan, since early August, to motorists who scrapped their clunkers that were at least six years old. This was a bid to improve the city's air quality and stimulate the flagging auto market.