Environmental protection authorities in Beijing announced on Tuesday that they had punished more than 10,000 violations involving excessive vehicle emissions in the capital last year, imposing total fines of 4.5 million yuan ($654,000) to the owners.

Authorities will strictly enforce the law in such cases to help improve air quality in Beijing, said Liu Jinfu, deputy director of the Beijing Motor Vehicle Emission Management Center, which is affiliated to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau.

Law enforcement efforts this year will focus on heavy-duty diesel-powered vehicles, he said, adding that more severe punishment is also expected for manufacturers and distributors of new cars that fail emission standards.

Beijing has about 230,000 registered heavy-duty diesel-powered vehicles, according to government figures.

In addition, environmental law enforcement officers this year will improve management of gasoline storage facilities, such as gas stations, to ensure the gas they sell meets standards and their facilities run smoothly, Liu said.

Environmental protection authorities will also intensify inspection of the registration of new diesel-powered vehicles, such as buses and postal vehicles, to ensure all of them are equipped with diesel particle filters, he said.