More than 1,000 entities from the government, semi-government and private sectors took part in Dubai Municipality’s annual Car-Free Day initiative, by taking public transport instead of their private cars on Sunday.

 

Last year, as many as 300 entities took part in the initiative, with nearly 30,000 people leaving their personal vehicles at home and taking public transport to reach work.

 

The numbers are a significant increase from 1,000 people in the initiative’s first year in 2010.

 

This year’s initiative, ‘Not a day … every day’, is under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.

 

Hussain Nasser Lootah, director-general of Dubai Municipality, said that this year saw greater participation compared to previous years.

 

“The next step we are working on is that each organization or entity would have a car-free day, and then we are looking to have areas of Dubai car-free for a day, until we reach the point where we could have a day where the entire Dubai is car-free,” he said.

 

This, he said, will help protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions, allowing Dubai to reach sustainability.

 

A number of officials from various departments, including Dubai Police, Emirates Red Crescent, Dubai Ambulance and others took the metro from Etisalat Metro station to Union Station, where they toured the municipality’s car-free day exhibition.

 

The trip marked the official launch of Car-Free Day on Sunday at 8am.

 

The exhibition had a large exhibition of environment-friendly vehicles, which rely on alternative fuel sources, whether solar or electric power or biofuels. There was a special section showcasing the latest practices, techniques and accomplishments relating to air quality, while the third section of the exhibition focused on demonstrating technologies, initiatives and achievements related to maintaining natural resources. (Gulf News)

 

 

PHOTO: The empty Dubai Municipality car park, as employees use public transport to mark car free day in Dubai.

CREDIT: Zarina Fernandes/ Gulf News.