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For this year's Car Free festival, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) asks you to rethink how you get around town. The concept is a simple one. Leave the car at home and walk, run, cycle, catch the bus, hop on a boat or ride the train instead, any day from September 20-27.
The full programme isn't out yet, but past years point to a run of talks and pop-ups on the how and why of getting about without a private car. Keep an eye on BMA's channels for updates as the week rolls on.
Before the date comes round, though, it helps to know what all it’s about.
What is Car Free Day, and why cut back on driving?
Every September 22, cities across the globe mark World Car-Free Day, and the request is a small one. Nobody wants you to sell the car or quit driving altogether. You simply leave it at home for the day, or for a trip or two, and travel on foot, by bike, by train or by bus. Share a ride with a few colleagues and you count as well.
A lot of cities go a step further and close certain roads for a few hours, giving the space over to pedestrians and cyclists. That eases some of the usual gridlock, though the bigger appeal is watching an ordinary street work differently, with stalls and people milling around where a row of cars normally sits.
What are the benefits of Car Free Day?
A single day of it won't fix much on its own. One quiet Sunday can't undo years of exhaust fumes. What matters is the prompt it gives. Hop on the BTS for a trip you'd normally drive and realise it saves you 20 minutes, or walk to the shop at the end of the soi rather than starting the car, and the switch has a way of sticking for the days that follow.
The upside adds up like this:
- Thinner traffic across the city
- A smaller petrol bill all round
- Less exhaust in the air when the PM2.5 count climbs
- A calmer, quieter commute
- More reason to walk and cycle
- More custom for the trains, buses and ferries
- Public space returned to residents
- A fresh sense of your options for getting around
Again, in Bangkok, the festival runs from September 20-27. Keep up with the various activities through BMA's social media channels, coming soon.