February 21st marks the day where thousands of commuters in Dubai will be urged to park their cars and take to public transport systems in droves to cut back on carbon emissions and for a generally healthier lifestyle.
According to the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) 300 organisations and about 30,000 people opted to use public transport during last years Car-Free day. It’s a big step up from when the inaugural campaign in 2010 only had two companies participating resulting in only a thousand cars being left behind in garages. However the campaign has seen growth, leading to over 147,000 litres of fuel being saved over the past six events. However that number is nearly rendered insignificant due to the fact that over 2,000,000 vehicles use Dubai roads everyday.
During last year’s Car-Free day, gold and silver Nol Cards charged with different mounts were given away to commuters who opted to use the metro. The total amount of money loaded in the pre-charged Nol cards was AED 100,000.
People can register through the municipality website, dm.gov.ae. Car-Free Day is open to people and organisations; Website visitors can also use the carbon-saving calculator to work out how much pollution they will save if they leave their car at home. The campaign can be followed on social media at #DubaiCarFreeDay, and for more information about how to take part, email carfreeday@dm.gov.ae.
Source: The National
