UAE | Environment
Municipality staff gear up for car-free day
1,500 employees will travel to work using public transport on February 17 to help save the environment
- By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 February 10, 2010
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I feel that It is a very good initiative by the Government. One can easily see the number of cars on SZR on both the straights. This will bring down the pollution & the congestion thereby giving Dubai the much needed Breathing space. One good solution to the raise in traffic is ""Work From HOME"" which works as an immediate measure to curtail the pollution.
Surya, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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I think, this step merits to be celebrated "Car free day" We should give a serious thought to alternative ways to work and other places we need to reach. this is a call to all scientists, inventors and engineers in the field. With the rising air pollution it is a day in which we can all share in saving the environment. but do we have eco-friendly options alternatives to cars !!!!!! and even if there are some I believe that many critical factors on their success.
Mariam, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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A very nice initiative!!!! But I had been all these years(11 yrs ) without a car and found travelling very difficult(especially over the past 2-3 yrs) with rise in tariff rates and extra 20 wehn going to Dubai. Now my hubby has purchased a car & I find it easy going anywhere at my ease with no tension as to when I can get a taxi and be back home.Waiting in the hot sun or cold chilly nights was a horror to me. But I do support this day!
Sammira, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Dubai: More than 23,000 tonnes of toxic gases were emitted by Dubai's one million cars in 2009, prompting Dubai Municipality to dedicate February 17 as Car Free Day for its staff and visitors
Based on the concept of the Car Free Day which first emerged in 1970 in the US during the oil crisis, the 1,500 staff employed at the civic body will have to travel to work by public transport. Many European cities started implementing similar days in the '90s and now more than 40 countries have followed suit.
"It is a small measure… but we are concerned about the environment and we need to explain and show people what they can do to protect it on different levels," said Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality.
"We hope other local governments will follow us, as well as organisations and individuals," he said. "All our employees will leave their cars outside the city and come to work using public transport. I plan to get the Metro from Rashidiyah station."
Visitors should also plan to use public transport as the car parks will be closed.
The transport sector contributes 42 per cent towards CO2 emissions in the emirate with each vehicle releasing 110 to 250g per kilometre of the toxic fume. According to municipality statistics Dubai has 1,021,880 vehicles on its roads which produces 23,343,762 kg of CO2 every day.
Cars that run on petrol are responsible for around 82 per cent of the fumes, followed by cars running on diesel which cause more than seven per cent of pollution. Trucks, buses, heavy vehicles and motorbikes make up the remaining 11 per cent.
Hamdan Al Shair, Director of the Environment Department, said the energy sector contributes more than the transport sector to the UAE's high carbon footprint, however Car Free Day will have an impact on all society.
Can you live without your car? How would your life be if you did not have a car?
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