The hazy capital has reinforced response measures and inspections after it issued the highest-level air pollution alert for the first time because of the heavy smog.

The red alert requires the suspension of kindergarten and primary and secondary schools and construction work, and it limits the use of cars, affecting more than half of the city's private vehicles through an odd-even license plate system.

Government bodies including Beijing's Environmental Protection Bureau, the Commission of Transport and the Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development sent out inspection teams. The teams found that most schools and construction sites had followed the order, although one workshop in Dongcheng district was forced to shut down because it hadn't been approved by environmental authorities.

From 7 am to 4 pm on Tuesday, the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau cited or took note of 3,690 drivers whose vehicles violated the car restrictions.

Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun went out on the streets to check the response measures. He caught one driver at a stoplight who was violating the vehicle restriction, and he suggested that he take the subway next time.

Wang also encouraged State-owned enterprises and government bureaus to act as models by always being the first to halt construction and reduce the use of cars when smog is heavy.

Hotline numbers

Residents of Beijing are encouraged to report pollution and violating factories through 12369, the hotline supervised by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, or 96310, the hotline of the Beijing Bureau of City Administration and Law Enforcement.

Residents can also dial the health service hotline 12320 of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.