ADDIS ABABA (BBC Africa) – Sunday 22 September is World Car-Free Day; but in Ethiopia it happens on the last Sunday of every month, across the country.
The first Car-Free Day was held in Ethiopia in December 2018 to promote healthy living, and to reduce pollution on roads usually clogged with traffic.
It is now so popular that up to 20 Ethiopian cities take part and there are calls for a weekly car-free day in the capital.
Young mum Beza Tadesse has joined in from the start. “If I exercise with my husband and children, it will become a habit,” she says.
Watch the video-report by BBC Africa (Video journalist Yadeta Berhanu)
About World Car-Free Day
World Car-Free Day is an international event celebrated every 22 September on which people are encouraged to use public or non-motorized transport to get around. World Car-Free Day is celebrated by 100 million people on every continent and supported by the European Union, the United Nations, the Government of Canada and the leaders of 1500 cities around the world.
On this day, street events and forums highlight the many problems caused by our dependence on the private automobile, including air pollution, global warming, stress, and safety issues. It emphasizes the rights of pedestrians and cyclists, the need for more and better public transit, and helps people rediscover their local community, outside the confines of their vehicle.
In Ethiopia, a nationwide car-free day was launched on 9th December 2018 by the country’s Ministry of Health and the event has been held monthly since then to encourage non-motorized transportation and fight air pollution. Although many parts of the major cities in the country remained open to cars, on the last Sunday of the month of Ethiopian calendar*, several major arteries remain closed for cars. Overall traffic on the roads remain lower than usual in the frequently jammed in such cities as Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Jimma, Bahir Dar, Mekelle, Jigjiga, etc.