Dubai’s Car-Free Day initiative will return this year on February 19. This will be the fifth time in which it will be held in the emirate. It is expected that this year, more than 7,000 automobiles will remain off the city’s roads.
Many government and private entities have already announced their intentions to join the campaign and leave cars for one day. About 60 companies and their employees also plan to do the same. A number of universities and schools will also support and participate in the car-free initiative.
The aim of the campaign is to reduce the carbon emissions produced by cars, as well as to ease the road traffic. In addition, it also has the goal to promote public transportation, like buses and the metro. In that way, the area’s environment and people’s health will be preserved.
It is estimated that around 2 million automobiles flood the streets of Dubai every day. As a result, nearly half of all the pollution in the emirates is found to come from the vehicle’s carbon emissions. Also, most households in the city have more than one car which triggered debates on the implementation of a law that would control the ownership of cars in Dubai.
So far, the Car-Free Day in Dubai has proved to be successful and effective. During the first edition of the campaign, for instance, carbon emissions decreased by 3 tonnes. Also, more and more people and organizations are willing to join the initiative. As a result, during the 2013 Car-Free Day in the emirate, carbon emissions were reduced by over 14 tonnes.
Dubai residents are also welcomed to participate in the campaign and to give up their cars for a day on February 19. They are encouraged to switch to alternative transportation like buses, the Metro or water taxis. That would probably be a good idea, since many parking lots in Dubai will be closed during the Car-Free Day.
With predictions of 7,000 fewer cars on the road during February 19, carbon emissions could drop by nearly 20 tonnes.
