No Car Day

The nation is going through some extremely difficult times. We have one of the highest fuel prices of any European country, to add to this, child obesity is one of the highest amongst European countries as well. It is estimated that prices will rise to approximately £2 per litre. Who can actually afford that? We have to look after our own pockets and our health.

What I propose is extremely simple. It carries benefits for our pockets and our health. I propose we refrain from driving our cars for one day a month every month. It would be ideal to have this day on a weekend as opposed to a weekday as majority of the people need to drive their cars to work. On average, we spend between £5 and £10 a day on fuel.

This scheme is different from refraining from going to a fuel pump once a month. If you refrain from fuelling up once a month, what you are effectively doing is filling up for that day in advance. You are still using that fuel. You will still need to use that fuel. By refusing to use your car once a month you are refusing to use that fuel and therefore not spending that money. It is a small step to attain great benefits.

In place of driving your car, you can spend a day with your family, perhaps take your children to the park or take them for a nature walk. This has health benefits for your children and you and would help to bring your family closer.

Environmentally, we can aim to reduce our carbon footprint at the same time reduce the pollution that enters the air on a daily basis. Only drive your car if it is absolutely necessary. If you can do without driving a vehicle for one day then please do so. If the entire nation chooses not to drive the vehicle for one-day, collectively, we stand to save £20,000,000 in one day (on the approximation of there being 2 million cars off the road and we save £10 on fuel for a day). So let the first Sunday of every month be No Cars Day.

This is something that was tried in China back in 2007 . It called it the Green Transport and Health week campaign. the result of the campaign was “No Car Day Saturday” this campaign was implemented by the Ministry of Construction. during the period of the campaign particularly the week of September 22 2007, walking, biking, public transportation, and other environmentally friendly transport options were encouraged. They sought to set up special ‘green zones’ in hundreds of cities. These normally vehicle congested areas will be open only to pedestrians, bicycles, and buses from 7am to 7pm.the Chinese plan to call this campaign as a annual event. The estimate,in 2007 the campaign saved saved 33 million liters of gasoline and cut emissions by 3,000 tons.