Are Car-Free Days Catching On?

World Car Free Day occurs annually on September 22^nd. It’s a day where cars are banned in certain areas, with a view to encouraging people to walk, cycle or use public transport instead. Car-free days reduce air pollution, but more importantly raise awareness that could lead to more long term changes in behaviour. It’s particularly important in urban areas, but so far the number of cities joining in is relatively low. Is that about to change?

Momentum

One of the most notable car free days is held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The city’s main street was closed in September 2007 and since 2012 they have had it car free every Sunday. Elsewhere, the idea has been steadily brought up, discussed and debated, but only now is it beginning to gain some real momentum.

Fast forward to 2016, and Paris is celebrating World Car-Free Day by banning cars from 400 miles of their streets. The French capital aren’t alone. Over in Brussels people can be seen rollerblading and cycling around the city’s main streets for one day with growing numbers joining in every September. Cardiff have also joined the tradition. Park Place was closed for a day on 22^nd September and converted into a street market with information stalls and transport exhibitions.

Car-free London

So there’s some British involvement – but what about the capital? London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has welcomed the idea. It’s not a million miles from the concerns he’s previously expressed about air pollution, with his plans to introduce air quality warnings across the city.

And according to a 2015 YouGov poll, the people of London are mostly in support. 63% of Londoners said they would support a one-off car free day in the centre, with 58% agreeing it should be a monthly occurrence. It seems there’s only a matter of time before the initiative is launched and it looks like London will be one of many.

Reducing air pollution

Could car-free days reduce levels of air pollution in the long run? It certainly won’t do any damage. Cutting the amount of nitrogen oxides emitted into the environment is a serious matter. But it isn’t just cars and other vehicles that contribute. A recent study has found that coal-burning power plants in China could be just as much to blame. ‘Chinese Power Plants Emit as Much NOx as All the Passenger Cars in the World’ is the claim being made by market researchers The McIlvaine Company. The coal-burning giants have been investing in equipment to reduce their emission levels, but they still have a lot to do.