Car-free day on 15 December in Durgapur to protect environment

Durgapur would have a car-free day on 15 December as a part of an exercise to reduce pollution due to cut in vehicular emission. Normally, vehicles go off the roads during bandhs called by political parties but this will be a first for Bengal. Private vehicles in Burdwan district will go off the road on that day. The decision was taken at an administrative meeting in Durgapur. On that day, only public transport like buses and commercial vehicles like trucks will ply.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 6 November 2015.

It seems, out of 300,000 two and four-wheeler vehicles registered in the district, 200,000 will be off the road on that day. The administration expects fuel savings to the tune of 10 lakh litre and a 60% reduction in pollution due to cut in vehicular emission.
Government officials and staff will have to avail public transport or cycle or walk to work on December 15. The Distrrict Magistrate is also appealing to citizens not to use their motor private vehicles and instead go in for non-polluting cycles and rickshaws.
West Bengal is accustomed to car-free days mostly due to politically motivated reasons and, this would be a first when environment would be taking precedence.

(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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Gurgaon to promote cycling by installing cycle parking facilities

Gurgaon has launched a car-free day but, it has not produced the desired result even after four weeks and, hence, the administration wants to promote cycling in a big way. For this they have realized that absence of proper cycle parking facilities is a stumbling block that must first be removed – that would, hopefully, galvanize the citizens into action and there would be more number of cycles on the roads.
With this objective in view, the joint commissioner will inaugurate a cycle stand at Nagarro office – it will have a capacity to hold 20 cycles. The administration is already in talks with private firms and malls to earmark separate parking spaces for cycles.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 21 October 2015.

Incidentally, Nagarro has introduced parking fee for its employees on Tuesdays so as to discourage the use of cars and to promote Car-Free Day among its employees.
In order to ensure success of the Car Free Day, there will be 12 cranes assigned on the four routes to tow vehicles parked in unauthorized areas. But, the condition of cycling tracks is unsatisfactory and unless that is improved, it would be difficult to spread the cure of cycling and achieve the desired result.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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