Shenzhen to ban National III diesel trucks on city roads next year

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, National III diesel freight vehicles will be banned from operating across the city at all times, according to a draft regulation jointly released by the city’s ecology and environment bureau, the public security bureau’s traffic management department and the transportation bureau.

The draft, which is currently open for public comment, also proposes phased restrictions on National IV diesel freight vehicles, with measures varying by vehicle type, time of day, and specific areas/road segments. The control will be gradually tightened.

The move is intended to scrap older National III trucks, and continuously improve air quality. To accelerate the full scrap of the old vehicles, the city offers a cash incentive of up to 20,000 yuan (US$2,778) to vehicle owners who complete vehicle retirement by Dec. 31 this year.

Shenzhen has already imposed time-of-day restrictions for large and small National III diesel freight vehicles since Jan. 25, 2025, and added 24-hour restricted road sections on top of the first phase from July 1 this year.