A number of officials of Qom Municipality pedaled in the city today as a part of the country’s ‘Car-Free Tuesdays’ campaign.
Today’s campaign was run with the participation of the directors of the Transportation and Traffic Organization, the municipal cultural, artistic, and sports organization, and members of the cycling board.
Every week, one of the government organizations and institutions takes part in this campaign, which is held Tuesdays at 7:30 AM at the invitation of the members of the Working Group on Health and Clean Transport, to promote a culture of using clean transportation.
The ‘Car-Free Tuesdays’ initiative is aimed at reducing one-manned vehicles and encouraging people to use public transports for daily trips.
It should be noted that despite efforts by Iran’s Department of Environment (DoE) and anti-air pollution campaigns, the use of bicycles has failed to gain widespread popularity across the country. However, the public’s positive reaction to a recently launched challenge has raised hopes to this end.
While bicycle, as a cheap and environment-friendly means of transportation, is regaining its 19th-century status in most developed countries, particularly European states, Iranian metropolises still fail to see many cyclists in their streets despite their heavy traffic, high level of air pollution, and the growing number of their citizens suffering from diseases caused by the lack of adequate physical exercise.