The Municipality of Dubai is holding is fourth Car Free Day 2013 on February 13, Wednesday. The ambitious initiative is expected to draw some 7,000 people out of their private vehicles and have them use public transportation instead. This year’s event will be supported by the employees from at least 27 different government departments and numerous private organizations.
Available support
Employees who opt to support Car Free Day 2013 can use various public transportation options available, such as the bus, Dubai Metro and Abra services. The environmental initiative has been getting widespread support from both public and private sectors.
To further push participants to leave their cars at home, all the public parking lots in the Municipality will be closed on Wednesday.
Benefits of the initiative
This initiative is meant to bring awareness to the effects of global warming as well as the various ways that people can help control it. At the same time, it will also help in reducing carbon emissions in the municipality. The transportation sector of the municipality is responsible for 47% of the carbon emissions and air pollutants in Dubai.
Another boon of the initiative is that it helps strengthen the cooperation between the private sector and the local government when it comes to environmental protection.
It also helps promote the use of public transportation in the community, which goes towards helping reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions. Each day, there are more than 1.5 million vehicles that can be found on the roads of Dubai.
Online registration now available
This year’s initiative will allow participants to register online. Not only will it make it more convenient for participants to register, but it will also allow organizers to have an exact figure as to the actual participants of the event.
Humble beginnings
Car Free Day was launched in 2010 in response to growing concerns for the environment. 2013 marks the fourth year of Dubai’s very successful Car Free Day initiative.
Concrete results
During its first year in 2010, more than 1,000 private vehicles were removed from the road for one day, resulting in the carbon emission reduction of up to three tonnes. It also helped encourage city employees to leave their cars at home and instead use public transportation. Thanks to the ambitious initiative, some 200 employees of the municipality now opt to use the Dubai Metro to get to work, in lieu of using their cars.
Last year, some 3,500 vehicles were left at home during Car Free Day 2012. This resulted in the carbon emission reduction of 10.5 tonnes.
This year, organizers are hoping to double the figures.
Private sector support
One of the private companies participating in this initiative is Al Serkal Group. According to the company’s CEO Ahmad Al Serkal, the company will plant 12 saplings for every employee who chooses not to drive his car to work to help counteract the carbon emissions produced.
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