# Curbing Air Pollution : Car-Free Days



## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*FACTBOX-Key facts on International Car-Free Day *

Sept 22, 2005 (Reuters) - Around 100 million people around the world are expected to observe International Car-Free Day on Thursday. 

Campaigns to reduce reliance on cars have been planned for over 1,500 cities in 40 countries and are designed to show alternatives to car use such as public transport and the promotion of car-free zones. 

The eventual aim is to reduce air pollution, noise and overcrowding in cities. 

Following are some facts about the day, road transport and its environmental impact: 

- Initiated in France in 1998 as the "In town, without my car!" event, the day is now backed by the European Union on Sept. 22 every year as part of European Mobility Week. 

- The number of cars around the world will increase from approximately 600 million in 2005 to about 1.2 billion by 2020, according to Forrester Research. 

- The road transport sector accounts for 40 percent of all petroleum products consumed worldwide, according to the Paris-based French Petroleum Institute. 

- The road transport sector generates more than one fifth of all emissions of carbon dioxide -- the greenhouse gas linked to global warming -- in the European Union, with passenger cars being responsible for more than half of these emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. 

- The European auto industry promised in 1999 to cut emissions of carbon dioxide to 140 grams per car per km driven by 2008 and to 120 g/km by 2012, compared with 185 g/km in 1995. Their Japanese and Korean counterparts have pledged to reach the same level in 2009. 

- Estimates of road fatalities worldwide range from 500,000 to 880,000 every year, with about 10 million injured. Some forecasts say deaths could reach two million by 2030. 

- Most of the historic city of Venice is car-free and more than 150 Italian cities have a ban on cars on Sundays. The Greek capital Athens limits the entry of cars into the city centre - only cars with odd licence numbers are allowed on odd dates and even licence numbers on even dates. 

Sources: EU website - www.22september.org ; World Carfree Network's website - www.worldcarfree.net ; Canada's - www.carfreeday.ca ; T (Compiled by Editorial Reference Unit researchers in Bangalore; edited by Joe Ortiz)


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Olympic-spirited Beijing considers car-free days *
6 November 2006

BEIJING, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Beijing may expand a campaign to urge people take public transport to work and could introduce totally car-free days ahead of the 2008 Olympics, an official said on Monday. A voluntary effort over the China-Africa summit at the weekend to encourage people not to drive was successful, cutting down on traffic and clearing away pollution, said Du Shaozhong, deputy head of Beijing's Environmental Protection Bureau. 

"We believe that cutting down on driving is helpful to the general Olympic spirit," Du told a press conference in increasingly rich Beijing where some 1,000 new cars hit the streets each day. 

"I think drivers and the general public were quite enthusiastic about this campaign and I believe we could continue with this kind of activity." 

More than 400,000 people signed a pledge not to drive during the summit, the Beijing government said in a statement. 

About 40 percent of commuters took public transport as opposed to just under 30 percent at other times, said Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Traffic and Transportation Administration Committee of Beijing. 

Three days of some of the strongest winds to hit the city this year also did their bit in helping to clear the air. 

Beijing is spending $40 billion revamping its old-fashioned subway system, building new lines and improving rolling stock, as well as building new roads, highways and other infrastructure in preparation for the Games. 

The government also sent mass text messages to mobile phones informing people of traffic restrictions during the Africa summit. 

That and asking people not to drive to work were all good experiences for hosting the Olympics, Liu said. 

"We will certainly make sure of good traffic conditions for the Games," he added.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Rome, Milan, other Italian cities hold car-free day to lower pollution levels *
28 January 2007

ROME (AP) - Cars were banned in Rome, Milan and other Italian cities Sunday, leaving residents to walk, ride bikes or use public transportation. 

The ban on cars and motor scooters, lasting most of the day, was put into place to lower pollution levels. There was no exemption for soccer fans going to stadiums, but public transportation was increased. 

Some people resorted to riding bikes or using roller blades on what was a sunny day in both Rome and Milan. Other cities banning cars were Brescia, Como and Varese in the Lombardy region. 

The ban, the first in 2007, is often implemented by Italian cities during winter.


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## Taylorhoge (Feb 5, 2006)

Italy has such huge gas prices that most cars are small or theyre scooters and mopeds.Or people use Bus service or metros


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## gabrielbabb (Aug 11, 2006)

on mexico city the government put that rule about 15 years ago ( if there was a car of 10 years or more it couldn't go by the streets one day a week ) the governments instead wanted people to use more the public transportation but instead of that people started buying more recent cars so that rule is yet on mexico city but many people prefer to be driving its car everyday...


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## megatower (Jun 24, 2006)

this is a good idea


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

Some cities have taken a more passive approach, such as congestion charges, while others have been more direct, such as banning cars on the streets. I hope to bring more information on how these are implemented around the world. I believe Athens' program restricts car use depending on license plates.


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## Taylorhoge (Feb 5, 2006)

I hope NYC bans S.U.Vs none of the people who drive them understand....


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## Bogota (Feb 20, 2005)

Bogota, Colombia held this last thursday 1st of February is 9th edition of the yearly car free day. Nearly 1.5 million private cars that move through the city every day on this 7 million people city left their cars at home either using public transport or biking, cicling, jogging or walking to and from work. The weather contributed greatly this year with a cloudless 21°C day.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

I don't see too many SUVs navigating in Manhattan ... a lot of taxis though.


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## adrimm (Dec 17, 2006)

Bogota said:


> Bogota, Colombia held this last thursday 1st of February is 9th edition of the yearly car free day. Nearly 1.5 million private cars that move through the city every day on this 7 million people city left their cars at home either using public transport or biking, cicling, jogging or walking to and from work. The weather contributed greatly this year with a cloudless 21°C day.


1.5 Million less cars??!! That's fabulous.. I heard they were hoping for just over 1 million, but, 1.5 is amazing!!


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Seattle forgives car-free tickets and tows *
27 August 2008

SEATTLE (AP) - When the city of Seattle held a "car free" event last weekend on a street near Volunteer Park, 13 cars were towed away and 21 drivers got tickets.

Now city officials have agreed to pay the towing fees and turn the tickets into warnings.

The mayor's spokesman, Alex Fryer, says the city is giving drivers a break because it was supposed to be a fun event.

The city holds its second "car free" day Sunday on Rainier Avenue South. The city Transportation Department is calling residents and visiting merchants to warn them to clear the street.

A spokesman, Rick Sheridan, says, "We don't want the focus of the car-free day to be about parking and towing."


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Living the dream of car-free, humane city *
*While quotidian reality chokes citizens with black smoke emitted from the endless stream of vehicles in the city, there are days when life is more spacious, and even lead-free enough to breathe.*
20 November 2009
The Jakarta Post

The administration has run a Car-Free Day program, in which cars and motorcycles are not allowed onto several main streets during the day, for the last few years. Usually held on Sundays, police officers block off the streets and let citizens swarm in with their various activities.

Young parents stroll with their babies down the middle of roads, as if the giant asphalt layers are the long-lost green parks Jakartans yearn for.

Children play soccer, badminton and other field sports, which have vanished in lieu of skyscrapers that leave the city's kids no room to play outdoors.

There are also street performances and festivities, celebrating a day when, somehow, life goes back to the years when Jakarta was still known as Batavia.

The administration said a few years ago that the Car-Free Day policy was aimed at reducing carbon emmissions and weaning people off their dependence on vehicles. Yet the number of vehicles on Jakarta's roads keeps rising despite the stagnant development of roads and highways.

Last Sunday was another Car-Free Day in Old Town, West Jakarta. People flocked to the streets and once again lived the one-off day of joy, celebrating open spaces in the absence of motor vehicles.

There were once again all of the joyful performances and outdoor activities on a day that let people enjoy their lives outside of a chilly mall or their home.

Cyclists were the kings of the car-less streets. Children played in front of the History Museum, West Jakarta.

All of these things before waking up to a new Monday, starting their cars and driving to work. Life goes back to normal.


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## andrelot (Aug 6, 2008)

Italy dropped those Sunday car-free days, none of them happened in 2008 and 2009 in majority of those cities. Too much damaging to commerce and services. They are taking a different approach: ban only old, crap, smoking cars. It works: pollution decreased, and people are encouraged to buy newer cars.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

andrelot said:


> Italy dropped those Sunday car-free days, none of them happened in 2008 and 2009 in majority of those cities. Too much damaging to commerce and services. They are taking a different approach: ban only old, crap, smoking cars. It works: pollution decreased, and people are encouraged to buy newer cars.


Yes - I think that is far more sustainable than having one-off car-free days. It brings awareness, but it needs to be followed up with something that can last year-round.


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## goschio (Dec 2, 2002)

andrelot said:


> Italy dropped those Sunday car-free days, none of them happened in 2008 and 2009 in majority of those cities. Too much damaging to commerce and services. They are taking a different approach: ban only old, crap, smoking cars. It works: pollution decreased, and people are encouraged to buy newer cars.


Same is done in german cities. Old polluting cars are banned from inner cities to improve air quality. 

Car free days are just a measure to get attention but nothing sustainable.


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## helpme3233 (Nov 1, 2009)

a good idea yeah


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

I surgest we have some pedestrian free days where the cars can drive on the sidewalk and squares..


After all with a reasonoble sized car it is the better choice CO2 vise rather than walking..

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article2195538.ece


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## andrelot (Aug 6, 2008)

@goschio

Exaclty, you got my point. People can refrain of driving downtown for one day and adjust their lives (car days are usually hold on Sundays... guess why) in the same fashion they can adjust their lives in severe weather days (snowstorm, hail etc.). It only spreads traffic to previous and following days.


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

goschio said:


> Same is done in german cities. Old polluting cars are banned from inner cities to improve air quality.
> 
> Car free days are just a measure to get attention but nothing sustainable.


Is this the special license that is required on all cars (some sticker?) in order to enter the inner cities?


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