Beijing has shunted 13,000 outdated, polluting taxis onto the scrap heap since the beginning of 2006 to reduce air pollution, the local legislature was told yesterday.

The taxis are cheap models with high emission levels, said Liu Xiaochen, secretary general of the municipal government at the 33rd session of the Standing Committee of the 12th Beijing Municipal People's Congress. They will be replaced by new taxis that meet the Euro-III emission norm, said Liu.

Some 2,000 outdated buses will also go to the wreckers this year and 2,760 clean gas-driven buses will go into service.

The city replaced 28,000 old taxis and 3,900 diesel-engine buses in 2005.

Automobile emissions containing sulfur dioxide have become a major factor in urban pollution. Sulfur dioxide emissions increased by 4.2 percent in the first half of the year over the same period in 2005 in Beijing.

Statistics show that Beijing has 2.8 million registered motor vehicles, including 67,000 taxis.