Hundreds of truck drivers in the northern city of Xi’an went on strike on 9 November protesting new government regulations that banned China 3 and 4 diesel trucks from the city’s third ring road during the daytime.

Since most of Xi’an’s logistics stations, shopping malls and construction sites are located inside the third ring road, the ban effectively prevents truck drivers from working during the day. Some drivers told local media that they had already spent nearly 100,000 yuan to purchase their current vehicle and said that buying a new truck would be impossible given the minimal amount they could get for their old vehicle.

It is estimated that around 85 percent of Xi’an’s truck drivers participated in the strike as well as drivers from nearby towns. Their protests, staged at the traffic police bureau and the municipal government building in Xi’an, gained widespread support on social media. The government was eventually forced to withdraw the policy, and drivers can now obtain permits to enter the city’s third ring road regardless of their vehicle’s diesel standard.