The World - News from July 13, 1988

Pollution is so bad in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo that authorities plan to stop 2 million cars from entering the downtown area today. Under an anti-pollution plan announced last week, 500 police and employees of the government’s environmental protection agency are scheduled to block off the city’s 200-square-block central district before the morning rush hour, permitting only buses and official vehicles to enter the area until 9 p.m. Commuters are being asked to ride buses or use the subway instead of driving to work. Last week, the amount of carbon monoxide from vehicular traffic began reaching 30 parts per million, a level that can cause health damage.