Dubai: Dubai’s Car Free Day initiative is expanding to include three more emirates this year.
Al Ain, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah municipalities will also participate in the annual environmental campaign of Dubai Municipality, Hussain Nasser Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality, announced at a press conference on January 24 morning.
The ninth edition of Car Free Day -- when residents ditch their cars for public transport -- will be observed on February 4, he added.
“One day, we want the whole of the UAE to have a day free of cars,” he said, welcoming the other emirates’ plan to observe the day.
“The idea of this ninth edition of Car Free Day is to educate the people to use mass transport and reduce the use of cars.”
Despite the availability of public transport services, Lootah said, there is an increase in the number of cars plying on the roads.
“We need to do something about it. At least one day, we need to avoid using cars and reduce the environmental pollution.”
Lootah pointed out that the initiative had an impact on reducing the world's' carbon footprint and climate change.
“Nearly 60,000 vehicles halted during the eighth Car Free Day, which is equivalent to a reduction of about 174 tonnes of carbon emissions that may necessitate the cultivation of 1,218 trees to dispose it off.”
“The number of vehicles stopped during the past year is 33 per cent higher than the number of vehicles stopped during the initiative in 2016, estimated at 45,000 vehicles,” he said.
The municipality had started the initiative in 2010 with just 1000 vehicles kept away from the streets by the officials and employees of the civic body.
Over the years, the number of organisations and individuals participating in the campaign has seen a massive increase.
