Proposed traffic caps 'to help Budapest with green incentives'

New proposals to restrict the amount of traffic flowing through the Hungarian capital of Budapest will help the city in its aims to become greener, it has been claimed.

Budapest's mayor, Gabor Demszky, announced the plans on Sunday and said the decision was spurred by local industries currently being forced to turn to oil as gas supplies from Russia were cut unexpectedly last week.

"Cars with odd-numbered car plates will only be allowed to drive on odd calendar days like today and cars with number plates ending with an even number will have even days," the mayor revealed.

The measures bear some similarities to those introduced by authorities in Beijing in the run up to last year's Olympic Games.

Police will be deployed to enforce the rules, Mr Demszky added, but the ring road running around the city will be exempt from the changes.

Budapest is not the only capital city to attempt to improve its air quality of late. The New York State Environmental Board last week announced new measures aimed at cutting industrial emissions.