Ditch the car keys for World Car Free Day 2020!

Did you know that 63% of Tauranga’s carbon emissions come from transport, mostly cars and trucks? Did you also know that About 76% of people travel to work in Tauranga in a private or company vehicle on their own, compared to 68% nationwide?

We rely on our vehicles heavily throughout our day to day life. World Car Free Day aims to get people out of their cars and try a new, more environmentally friendly, way of getting around our city. Simply just hopping on 1 bus equals up to 40 fewer cars on the road.

People in more than 2000 cities and 46 countries around the world will ditch their car keys today, and council Director of Transport Brendan Bisley says going car-free has many benefits.

“Not so long ago we experienced lockdown at Alert Level 4 and during that time people used the streets, their suburbs and the city in a different way. People enjoyed more time walking, cycling and less time in cars, which meant a lot less congestion on the roads," Brendan said.

"World Car Free Day is an opportunity to challenge friends, family and colleagues to get out, get moving and see the benefits of leaving the car at home, even if it’s just for the day.

"There are many benefits to ditching the car in favour of biking, walking or taking the bus both mentally and physically. Reduced stress, improved health, cleaner air, less congestion and lower levels of noise and environmental pollution.

"Not paying for petrol or parking, vehicle maintenance and other running costs are other financial benefits that people might consider when choosing to make change.” 

Even more, a reason to ditch the keys today... World Car Free Day coincides with Spring, which is a great time to create new travel habits! Find out more about World Car Free Day and how you can get involved in Tauranga.