Hainan starts vehicle license plate lottery

Hainan province launched a policy on Wednesday to restrict car purchases, with a view toward easing traffic congestion and promoting the use of new energy vehicles.

The move, which was announced on Tuesday, makes Hainan the ninth region on the Chinese mainland to adopt such a policy, joining Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Guiyang, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Shijiazhuang.

New license plates for standard-fuel vehicles will be issued by lottery or auction. Licenses for new energy vehicles will be issued simply by signing up starting on Aug 1, the announcement said.