Cities to limit where "dirty" cars can travel

The "dirtiest" vehicles will soon have a red decal, while the "cleaner" ones will get a green sticker. Under a new scheme, municipal governments will soon be allowed to determine where motor vehicles with harmful emissions can and can't circulate in towns and cities.

Those that use diesel fuel, and any model made before 1992, will carry a red sticker. Green- ticketed vehicles are reserved for electric cars, hybrids and models that use gasoline.

Those drivers will be allowed to circulate freely near crosswalks, and have access to public parking garages and cargo delivery areas, under the new measure approved Friday by the Cabinet. The plan is expected to go into effect in 2013 and will allow cities to create Urban Zones with Protected Atmospheres (ZUAP).