Residents of Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province, will enjoy a quiet, clean and safe day on October 14, because no cars will be allowed in the downtown area on that day.
Chengdu will be the first city in China to hold such an activity.
On September 22, 1998, 34 cities in France held the first “No Cars Day” in the world. Last year, such activities were held in more than 200 cities worldwide. As a result, the pollution index in some cities dropped by 90 percent.
Wang Rongxuan, mayor of Chengdu, said the aim of the event is to improve the public awareness of environmental protection, and encourage the use of clean vehicles.
Wang explained that between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on October 14, all vehicles except buses, non-motor vehicles and special vehicles such as ambulances and fire control vehicles, will be prohibited from being used on streets in designated area.
Chengdu has made great achievements in improving its urban environment. The city has won four international awards for successfully harnessing the Funan River, which has been a city moat for Chengdu for 2,200 years. The UN Development Program and the UN Center for Human Settlement regard the project as a good example for big cities in the world.
(People’s Daily 09/28/2000)
