Over 60,000 cars in four emirates will not be on roads in February 4th

It is expected that over 60,000 cars will be kept off the roads in UAE on February 4th as four emirates and three more municipalities have joined Dubai’s initiative this year. Al Ain , Ajman And Ras Al Khaimah will be joining the emirate of Dubai in their annual initiative to protect the environment, this news was announced by a senior official on wednesday during a press conference.

The director general of Dubai Municipality, Mr Hussain Nasser Lootah also stated that the door is open for all municipalities of the UAE to participate in the environmental friendly initiative. Dubai’s initiative to keep cars off the roads for one day in a year has grown from a local event and has become an example for protecting the environment and reducing the carbon footprint throughout the UAE.

“One day, we want the whole of the UAE to have a day free of cars,” he said, while welcoming the other municipalities’ on board their plan to observe the day.

this is the ninth time this event is being observed, the main idea of this event is to encourage use of public transpot and make the people realise that many cars can be kept off road if the public transport system is utilized.

There are all types of different mass transport services available throughout the UAE, despite this fact there has been an increase in the number of cars being operated on the roads. Mr Lootah stated “We need to do something about it. At least one day, we need to avoid using cars and reduce the environmental pollution.”

It is also encouring to note that diffent emirates where public transport network is stil not developed as Dubai are also participating in this event.

What Will It Impact?

Mr Lootah stated that this initiative will have a significant impact on reducing overall carbon footprint which will in term reverse the adverse effects on climate change.Employees of about 200 organisations and 2,444 people in individual capacity taking part, about 60,000 vehicles were not used during the eighth edition of the Car Free Day, “which is equivalent to a reduction of about 174 tonnes of carbon emission that may necessitate the cultivation of 1,218 trees to dispose it of”.
This was 33 per cent higher than their number in the 2016 initiative, which was estimated at 45,000.

With the officials and residents of three additional municipalities which are expected to participate, the over all number of vehicles participating is epected to be aroudn 60,000.

A vehicle on a full tank of 15 gallons, Lootah said, releases about 140kg of co2 into the atmosphere.
“Thus the amount of total emissions [from such a vehicle] annually would be about four tonnes and this emission contributes towards global warming.”
This implies, if a person is driving a small car from International City to Deira, roughly 20km, you will use up 1.3 litres of fuel emitting 2.35kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If it is a four-wheel drive, your car will emit over 7kg of carbon dioxide.

Great Growth

This initiave was tarted by dubai in 2010, in which only one thousand vehicles were kept off the streets. throughout the years the organisations and individuals which are participating in the same have increase parabolically.
Ali Ebrahim, deputy director-general of Dubai Economy, told the reporters that the department encourages its officials and also all the businesses in Dubai to participate.
deputy director-general of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), Major-General Obaid Mehayar Bin Surour, added that 3,000 officials and employees of GDRFA are expected not to use their cars for public transport on the day.