Car free day tries to drive home lessons of “Green Olympics”

29 September 2008--After clamping down on cars and the pollution that comes with them for the Olympics, China last week tried to keep the spirit alive with its second national Car Free Day.

As part of International Car Free Day, cities across the country restricted private vehicles in designated areas from 07:00 to 19:00 on Monday 22 September, and all drivers were encouraged to leave their cars at home.

Many drivers did just that, but many didn’t. While “Car Free” roads saw a sharp reduction in traffic, other routes appeared normal.

For Beijing, this year’s Car Free Day came just two days after pollution reduction measures put in place for the Olympics officially ended.

One regulation saw over half the capital’s cars pulled off the streets every day, leading to some of the clearest skies of recent times.
(abridged)

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■Source:WWF