Subscribe to RSSIt’s World Car Free Day
I was thrilled to see a sign inside a bus tonight that advertised tomorrow’s world car free day.
Maybe I have missed something but I haven’t heard much noise about it.
A pity as being September 22 world wide whatever the time zone, we would be one of the first countries to make such a noise and maybe get some attention.
Over 200 cities in the world are actively promoting it.
Last year ARTA encouraged people to leave their car at home for a day and ran a mountain bike contest.
This year there have been localised pockets of enthusiasm, like Whangarei people urged to take a bus
Auckland's car-less southern motorway when closed at Newmarket recently
The worldwide campaign is to get people to leave their car for a day -and get to like the idea.
Car free day would be another excuse to promote Onehunga
With Onehunga just opened and public transport, walking and cycling on the rise in Auckland, it’s a pity more wasn’t made of it but good on NZ Bus to advertising it on buses - although that kind of defeats the purpose as it’s an already converted audience!
The part I enjoy the most about the annual event on September 22 is reading the commentators who say it’s a stupid idea from the greenie types and will never take off.
Update:
ARTA is running a contest to go car free and be in to win a Giant mountain bike worth over $800.
If you’re a student at either primary or secondary school or at a tertiary institution then there’s a further chance to win Whitcoulls vouchers for your educational institute.
To go in the drawer, send an email to [email protected] and in the subject field say how you will be getting around this World Car Free Day for example by cycling, walking, car-pooling, or by taking the bus, train or ferry.
3 Comments
I think what would be really cool is if ARTA offered either half price fares or fully free fares on this day each year.
That would get heaps of publicity and mean lots of people gave it a go for a dya - if they liked it they might keep using.
@Lucy - That’s sounds like a really good idea, if they can do it when the viaduct closes because it is a state emergency as such they could do it on that day as well. We really need to go that extra step when promoting our public transport system, poorly executed posters with thought bubbles sometimes doesn’t quite acheive it. Pity it has been such an awful day weather wise to promote this even, I know I in reluctance used a car for one leg of my journey today just because I didn’t fancy a wait in the cold, wind and rain at 6.20am this morning at a non-existant bus shelter.
@LucyJH - I don’t know about other countries but here in Seoul, Korea the fares are usually always free until 5pm on car-free day.