Up to 800,000 cars were taken off Beijing roads on Monday as a new traffic restriction officially began. Traffic jams, however, were still reported in a few downtown areas, local authorities said. [Watch the video]

Under the new restriction, 70 percent of government vehicles, as well as all corporate and private cars, will take turns off the roads one out of the five weekdays as of last Saturday, according to the Beijing Municipal Committee of Communications.

Cars whose number plates end with 1 or 6 will be taken off roads on Monday, while those ending with 2 or 7 will be banned on Tuesday, 3 or 8 on Wednesday, 4 or 9 on Thursday and 5 or 0 on Friday. The ban does not apply on weekends.

Because a weekend fell on Oct. 11 and Oct. 12, the new restriction actually started being applied on Oct. 13.

The ban is applicable within the Fifth Ring Road inclusive, from 6 a.m. to 9 PM for private cars and round the clock for government and corporate vehicles.

Cars run on the Second Ring Road in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2008. A new traffic restriction went into effect officially in Beijing on Monday, which is expected to help sustain the hard-won smooth traffic and good air quality during the Olympic Games. Cars whose number plates end with 1 or 6 will be banned from running on roads within the Fifth Ring Road inclusive on Mondays, while those ending with 2 or 7 will be banned on Tuesdays, 3 or 8 on Wednesdays, 4 or 9 on Thursdays and 5 or 0 on Fridays. The ban does not apply on weekends. [Xinhua]

Guo Delin, a self-employed businessman, experienced smooth traffic on Monday morning while driving on the Second Ring Road. But he was still unhappy with the restriction.

"I'm traveling in most of the working hours, so driving is part of my life. I'm afraid the ban will affect my business."

Late last month, more than 400,000 Beijingers joined an online discussion about whether to keep the ban. Nearly half supported a permanent vehicle restriction, while others, mostly car owners, opposed.

Despite the reduction of traffic flow on Monday, some major roads in downtown areas were still jammed during the morning and evening rush hours.

"We cannot expect the new measure will produce good results instantly. It will be a long-term task to improve the traffic condition, and we need to take more effective measures," a Beijing Municipal Traffic Management Bureau official said.

People wait at a bus stop in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 13, 2008. [Xinhua]