MEXICO CITY — An icon of Mexico City’s frantic roadways, the little green Volkswagen bug is slowly going extinct.

Mexico City’s government has implemented new requirements for taxis that will force drivers to replace the VW taxis with four-door cars.

The city estimates that nearly two-thirds of all the city’s cabs are Beetles. Up to a third of those will be retired this year, officials estimate.

City officials say the Beetles are unsafe gas-guzzlers that have no place in a modern metropolis. Many are also “pirate cabs” that operate illegally — travel guides often warn tourists to avoid the green Beetles because they might be at risk of being robbed by the drivers.