Local govt sets good example by publishing letter of apology

THE GOVERNMENT OF LANZHOU, capital of northwestern China's Gansu province, published an open letter of apology after it introduced an odd-even car plate number ban to limit the use of vehicles as a measure to reduce air pollution during orange alerts. Yangtze Daily comments:

It has been a common practice of municipal governments to implement similar bans without providing any warning. Some of them even introduce the bans at midnight.

Of course, these measures mean to fight pollution and serve the interests of all. But they cause inconvenience to ordinary residents because they affect their daily lives. That's why the Lanzhou municipal government's move is a welcome one. By publishing the open letter of apology, it has shown it is sympathetic to people's needs.