Indonesia’s Car Free Day

CAIRO – 10 December 2017: If you are planning to visit Jakarta, you definitely should not miss out on the Car Free Day.

The project started off as a governmental initiative to reduce nation-wide pollution, but it gradually became more popular over time, with a large number of citizens flocking to the streets to enjoy their day free from car noises and the frustrating bumper-to-bumper traffic.

In 2015, Indonesia’s traffic was the worst in the world, according to The Guardian. The government decided to tackle this issue and started to look for solid solutions and effective initiatives to address the problem. Indonesia now marks September 22 every year as the national “Car Free Day”.

Car Free Day could also be called “Worry Free Day” for parents, as children can walk down streets freely and enjoy the festive atmosphere.

Car Free Day was first introduced in the Netherlands and Belgium between 1957 and 1965, before East Germany followed suit in 1981, and Canada in 1992.

Additional Reporting by Hany Muhammed

children sing on the street for money: Photo Courtesy: Hany Muhammed


children sing on the street for money: Photo Courtesy: Hany Muhammed


children sing on the street for money: Photo Courtesy: Hany Muhammed