Samsung said on Sunday it will tighten restrictions on vehicle use at all its domestic worksites, switching from a 10-day rotation to a five-day scheme. The company said it is joining the policy after the government on April 1 announced measures to curb energy demand, including alternate-day vehicle restrictions for public institutions and a five-day system at public parking lots.

The five-day vehicle scheme will start on April 8, when the government's alternate-day restrictions for public institutions begin. Samsung previously introduced the 10-day scheme on March 25.

Under the five-day scheme, driving is restricted by day of the week based on the last digit of a vehicle's license plate. Vehicles with last digits 1 and 6 are restricted on Mondays, 2 and 7 on Tuesdays, 3 and 8 on Wednesdays, 4 and 9 on Thursdays, and 5 and 0 on Fridays. The company said it plans to actively encourage voluntary participation by employees.

Electric and hydrogen vehicles, vehicles carrying pregnant women or infants, vehicles used by people with disabilities and vehicles at remote worksites will continue to be exempt as before. Some work vehicles will be operated flexibly depending on worksite conditions.

Samsung will continue power-saving activities at its worksites alongside the five-day scheme. It will keep lights turned off in non-work areas such as outdoor landscaping areas, corridors and rooftops, and will continue measures to close and switch off lighting in unused parking areas on holidays. The company said it will also continue employee-participation campaigns, including shutting off the power to PCs and monitors when leaving work and cutting standby power to laboratory equipment, to embed energy-saving practices.

A Samsung Electronics official said, "We will continue to expand various measures step by step to improve energy-use efficiency and keep pace with the government's energy-saving policy."