Beijing temporarily bans 2.5 million cars, seex blue skies for the first time in years

China’s capital took two and a half million cars from its highly condensed streets and the effects seem to have been, quite simply, glorious – albeit likely short lived.

Among other recent changes to environmental regulations in the lead up to last week’s military parade (including being forbidden to barbecue outdoors), people in Beijing were limited to driving only on certain days of the week – depending whether their license plate ends in an odd number or even – The Economist reports.

The changes have people in Beijing taking a breath of fresh air – something they’re not all that used to. But, unfortunately, it seems the new-found blue skies and sunshine appear to have started to fade pretty quickly.

The official press agency of the People’s Republic, Xinhua, reported just over a week ago the country’s top legislature passed new reforms to its Air Pollution Control Law. The changes claim to be aimed at reducing the various sources of the smog that so often blankets cities across the country.

It’s pretty common for people in the country to frequently check the air quality on smartphones and laptops because of the level of smog poisoning the air. Beijing initially toyed with the idea of limiting car usage during the 2008 Summer Olympics, according to the BBC.

The strategy, known as “road space rationing,” is used in major urban centers in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Chile and elsewhere.

France also implemented a road space rationing strategy for Paris last year, but it seems the City of Love wasn’t infatuated with the idea and it was scrapped after only 24 hours, Autoblog.com reports.

If Beijing’s success has taught us anything, it’s that the road space rationing initiative can produce significant, albeit fleeting results.