FILE PHOTO: A cyclist rides along a street in heavy smog during a polluted day in Liaocheng, Shandong province, December 20, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA REUTERS/Stringer CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA

BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s eastern province of Shandong will ban the use of diesel trucks to transport coal from ports around the Bohai Sea starting on Oct. 1, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua on Monday, citing a statement from local authorities.

Companies operating ports on the Bohai Sea will not be allowed to renew contracts using diesel-powered trucks, in order to improve air quality, Xinhua reported, citing a statement from the Shandong Province Department of Transportation.

Major Chinese ports in Shandong including Qingdao, Yantai and Rizhao will be included under the ban.

The port authorities will give port companies two months to make the shift away from diesel trucks, said Xinhua. However, during this period, port companies cannot load or unload coal and coal ships will not be allowed to enter the ports.

Diesel-fueled trucks will also be banned from entering and exiting port regions.

The Chinese government has fought to reduce air pollution to meet 2017 political targets by reducing emissions from diesel trucks and increasing the use of rail transportation.

Earlier this year, the port of Tianjin, also located on the Bohai Sea, banned the use of diesel trucks to transport coal.