BEIJING - Non-local vehicles heading to downtown Beijing will be subject to inspections starting on Tuesday as two annual sessions get under way, the Beijing Traffic Management Bureau announced on its website on Sunday.

Under the measure, effective from Feb 28 to March 17, vehicles without Beijing license plates will undergo safety inspections, including for the first time for compliance with environmental standards, before they can enter the Fifth Ring Road.

Temporary licenses will be issued - valid for one week for passenger cars and three days for cargo vans. The inspections will be done at 18 stations located in the suburbs near express roads leading to downtown Beijing.

Ambulances and police vehicles will be exempt. In addition, faster inspections will be given to vans transporting vegetables or other fresh agricultural products.

Authorities say drivers from other provinces and areas should not make unnecessary visits to Beijing in March.

The annual sessions of the National People's Congress will start in Beijing on March 5, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body, will begin meeting on March 3.