As of Oct 1, motor vehicles registered outside Beijing that fail to meet exhaust emissions standards will be banned from entering the capital.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection said Thursday that gasoline-powered vehicles will not be allowed to travel along or within Beijing's Sixth Ring Road, the city's outermost highway loop, if their exhaust emissions do not comply with National Emission Standard I.

Diesel-driven vehicles must comply with National Emission Standard III or higher before they can operate in the same area.