In the Bangladeshi reality, it may sound very funny if someone proposes a yearly car-free day in this country. Most of the luxury-seekers would rebuke the person who would propose a day without cars, for that matter any motorised vehicle. But there are many cities in many countries that are very enthusiastic about observing a car-free day, and the citizens of those places are observing such a day with perfect merriment.
Look at what London Mayor Boris Johnson said the other day. He announced that he would consider car-free days on Sundays for their capital city. He got the idea while visiting Jakarta as part of his tour of Southeast Asia, where Indonesian people left their cars behind, taking their bikes or walking around the city on a Sunday.
London did have an annual traffic-free day, which was called VIP (Very Important Pedestrians) Day, in its West End for Christmas shoppers. But the government scrapped it in 2013. The day did show declining car use over the last few years. Londoners are now hoping that a new car-free day will become quite popular there.
But it was a great scene in Jakarta in September. Tens of thousands of residents from across the city came to the city centre on Sunday mornings to jog, bike, walk their dogs, or simply to enjoy the capital’s wide and tree-lined streets that are usually packed with private vehicles on weekdays.
Bangkok sealed off a few main roads in order to celebrate the car-free day and to encourage dwellers to switch from motor to pedal power. The car-free day was observed in all 77 provinces of Thailand. According to reports, traffic jams were reduced by 40%, people’s quality of life was better, and the city became more liveable. Even the number of drug-dependent criminals was reduced.
Every year on September 22, people across the world are encouraged to get around without cars. China focuses on the impact of transport on the quality of urban life, and encourages the reallocation and design of streets and public spaces, promoting a variety of ways to balance the traffic on the road space.
Copenhagen has been voted the world’s most liveable city for the second year in a row in one survey. More than 60% of its residents ride their bikes as part of their daily activities, and enjoy a better quality of life. There are many countries like these that try to improve the quality of the atmosphere around the people.
Yes, of course there would be several aspects to think of if you introduce a day without cars. How would you move the people, especially the elderly, and the freight? How would you carry patients to hospitals? Venice uses its canal network to move freight internally and between the city and the mainland. Similarly, every city would be able to evolve a way for movement. The people will move on bicycles and metro trains.
Having said all this, I must say that Bangladeshi cities and towns badly need their car-free days. Considering the traffic congestions, unruly behaviour of the vehicle drivers, and the lack of civic education, we can go a long way if we observe an annual car-free day.
Imagine, how many barrels of fuel and how much gas we would be able to save in just one day! Imagine, how much the rickshaw-pullers would earn on that day! Imagine, how the people would become conscious about their health, as well as the environment. On that day, no Dhaka-dweller will die of a traffic accident! Imagine, how many calories we can burn on that day!
The car-free day is likely to become a way of promoting the use of alternative transport on a daily basis, increase awareness of environmental issues around car use, recognise health benefits of walking and cycling, demonstrate the benefit to business of a decrease in car use, and to create a better sense of community within the city.
In many places across the world, the day has proven quite successful in raising public awareness around the issue of sustainability in the transport sector in a region that is heavily dependent on private cars. The movement for more sustainable transport policies is growing steadily everywhere, with a number of initiatives designed to break the dependence on private vehicles.
The critics might say that the car-free day wouldn’t work, as the office-goers would prefer to remain home if there was no vehicle to take them to work. I believe this isn’t an excuse. I would request our policymakers to think about it. Please.
