California's Department of Motor Vehicles says that consumer response to the government's issuance of exemption stickers for hybrid vehicles has been such a runaway success story that it may have to shut the green loophole as early as this March. The program, designed to encourage environmentally-aware motoring affords hybrid commuters the privilege of driving in designated High Occupancy Vehicle lanes (read: car pool) without passengers.

But California officials say they've been administering about 200 such stickers a day, and once Caltrans issues 50,000 decals, it will reassess the program and its impact on HOV-lane congestion.

If the 90-day study reveals that HOV lanes are packed like sardines, it could call off the program altogether as soon as this summer.

[Source: MediaNewsGroup via Daily Democrat]