Sunday 22 September is World Car Free day and South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils are offering drivers in the districts the chance to win a prize – if they give their vehicle a rest on that day.
World Car Free Day has been running for 25 years. Cities, towns and villages take the opportunity to raise awareness of air pollution and air quality by encouraging people to leave their cars at home for the day and choose alternative forms of transport.
Since Clean Air Day on 20 June both South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have been urging drivers to turn off their engines if they are stopped for a minute or more as part of their joint anti-idling campaign called Turn It Off. Now the councils are suggesting that drivers turn off their engines for a day!
If drivers in the districts pledge not to use their cars on World Car Free Day on 22 September and then tell the councils how they got around instead – on the train? bus? cycling? walking? kayaking? they will be entered for a draw for travel vouchers worth £50.
TO ENTER
Simply click on https://survey.southandvale.gov.uk/s/Worldcarfreeday/
and show (using words and photos) what you did on 22 September without your car.
Deadline for entries is 5pm Monday 30 September.
Cllr Jenny Hannaby, cabinet member for the environment at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “Air pollution in our districts is something you cannot easily see but it is a problem that affects us all. Evidence shows a lot of our air pollution comes from our cars.”
Cllr David Rouane, cabinet member for the environment at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “World Car Free Day offers everyone the opportunity to think about using an alternative means of transport and how that will benefit us in many ways, reducing congestion and improving air quality, as well as giving an opportunity for some healthy exercise.”
Notes to editors
The competition will be drawn on 1 October – there will be a top prize for each district to be chosen at random by the chair of that district.
The prize will be given as a voucher and no cash alternative will be offered.
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts have six Air Quality Management Areas between them – these are areas where it has been determined that due to local air pollution issues they won’t achieve the national air quality objectives which were put in place to protect people’s health and the environment. The two councils have put together plans to improve the air quality in these areas called a Local Air Quality Action Plan.