All buses running in Shenzhen will reach the national III standard for exhaust discharge by the end of this year, Guo Yurong, director general of the municipal environment protection bureau, said Thursday.

The scrapping of some old buses is one of the measures the environmental protection bureau will adopt in the year 2007 to clean Shenzhen's air, said Guo.

Meanwhile, Shenzhen will set up special gas stations to provide clean fuel for buses, said Guo, who urged people to use public transport instead of private cars.

Guo also vowed to carry out more inspections on automobiles to make sure all vehicles meet the relevant standards for exhaust discharge, and hire 500 people to monitor the vehicles.

Regarding water pollution, Guo said the city government will start building a sewage treatment plant on the upper part of the Shenzhen River. The plant, expected to be completed in 2008, will be able to treat 25 tons of sewage daily, she said, adding that two other sewage plants, Binhe and Luofang sewage plants, are being upgraded.

Editor: Yan