The downside of vehicles in the cities
In cities with denser populations, the effects of cars are more perceivable due to traffic jams and pollution. People have now started to notice the downsides of this popular mode of transport. As the number of vehicles on roads keeps rising, traffic jams have become a persistent headache to residents, and busy roads also mean little space left for bikes and pedestrians. In addition, air pollution has proven to be an issue that forced governments to tackle vehicle usage. In countries like China and India, deaths attributable to particulate matter pollution have amounted to almost over a million per year. As a sector with the second most carbon dioxide emission globally, just after electricity and heat production, road transport threatens public health and contributes significantly to global warming. The passenger car CO2 emissions have almost doubled since 2000, rising from 2.2 GtCO2 to 3.0 GtCO2 in 2020.The Car Free Day and Car Free movement
In reaction to these issues, cities started introducing policies to incentivize commuters to reduce the usage of private vehicles and make city centers more pedestrian friendly.Against this backdrop, the car-free day was one measure to encourage motorists to give up driving for one day every year, to raise awareness regarding the potential benefits of going car-free. The initiative went global around 2000, and since then, the World Car Free Day has taken place every year on September 22. In addition, the European Commission has taken a step ahead by turning the day into a whole mobility week campaign.
