World Car Free Day

Living Streets Aotearoa and the Cycle Advocates’ Network announce World Car-Free Day will take place on the 22nd of September. This yearly, global event, organised by the World Carfree Network since September 2000, encourages the people of in more than 1,500 cities to put into practice social, eco-friendly and sustainable methods of transport. Recent evidence about the threat of climate change, caused in part by increases in transport-related CO2 emissions, makes World Car-Free Day more important than ever.

As this year’s World Car-Free Day falls on a Saturday, Celia Wade-Brown, President of Living Streets Aotearoa, is encouraging players and their families to “Warm up for sports without warming up the planet”. She notes that “Weekend journeys are increasing even faster than weekday ones; walking, jogging, cycling and bus transport not only save energy but also save money on fuel. If teams have to take a car for away games, carpooling is the cheaper, greener option, and it’s great fun too. New Zealand has always been an ‘outdoors’ nation that cares about environmental issues; it’s time we put this into practice on our daily journeys. Walking instead of taking a car this September the 22nd is a zero-cost way to start looking after ourselves and the planet.”

Cycling Advocates’ Network spokesperson Stephen McKernon says alternatives to cars are readily available to most New Zealanders, and Kiwis are enthusiastic about using them for leisure. He notes, for example, studies by Sport and Recreation New Zealand, (SPARC) show that cycling is one of New Zealand’s top five pastimes. “Why not extend cycling or walking for leisure to a practical and cheap method of transport?” he says. “World Car Free day is fantastic for trying out new ways of commuting to your regular weekend activities.”

Celia Wade-Brown adds “World Car-Free Day doesn’t just have to be about sports, or a one-off event. This global day of action is a moment for everyone to think about how their travel impacts on their health and our environment. September the 22nd provides an opportunity to assess our dependence on cars, and how that can be reduced in the long-term.”

Ends.

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