Who doesn’t want to relive those times when our ancestors used to walk on roads without worrying about the honking cars or the smoke emanating from the motor vehicles. Visit Elliots Beach on Sunday morning and travel back in time.
The event is being introduced to Chennaites at a juncture when Bogotta, which pioneered car-free days celebrated the event’s 15 anniversary recently. Bogota’s Ciclovia is the oldest car-free event that continues to run on a tremendous scale every Sunday.
“Over 120 km of the street are closed to cars and nearly 30 percent of the population come onto the streets to walk, run, cycle, skate and enjoy their Sunday,” says Aswathi Dilip, communications manager at ITDP. Enrique Penalosa, former mayor of Bogota and president of the Board of Directors, ITDP also helped push the idea of car-free days in Bogota.
In India, it was first introduced in Ahmedabad in 2009. “But only five such days were done in a year. However, this movement captured attention of the residents when car-free Sundays called Raahgiri , was introduced in Gurgaon in 2013. Then it spread to different parts of Delhi including Connaught place, Dwaraka and Rohini. Some of the busy streets in these areas are closed for pedestrians every Sunday,” Aswathi adds.
There has been a lot of support for the initiatives in the capital and some other parts of the country. The stretch is used by residents to carry out their favourite activities. In Chennai the ‘car free Sunday’ will be first introduced in Elliots Beach.
“If public think this is useful, it can be expanded to other areas as well. They can come together and discuss this with their respective corporation official and traffic police officers,” said Raj Cherubal, director (projects), Chennai City Connect.
Meanwhile a senior Chennai corporation official said that free activities such as yoga and aerobics sessions, story telling for children and games for the specially challenged will be organised on the stretch on Sunday.
A senior police officer said that parking areas have been allotted for vehicles of those who come for the event. “We have also planned diversions for those who use the stretch,” the officer added.
Benefits galore
*World Car Free Day is observed on September 22. |
* It has multiple benefits, health being primary. |
* Lesser cars mean reduced stress levels on motorists. |
* No complaints of haphazard parking. |
* Pedestrians can walk without fear. |
* More space is available for people to relax. |
(With additional reporting by Aloysius Xavier Lopez)
