.jpg "No Car Days in Kunming, China")
Kunming, the capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan province, has become China’s first city to institute a monthly “No Car Day.” The fourth Saturday of each month, the city bans private cars within Kunming’s ring road from 9am to 7pm.
Kunming was one of over 100 Chinese cities to ban private cars from downtown on September 22nd for World Car Free Day. Although other Chinese cities reported minimal impacts to people’s behavior and downtown traffic, Kunming’s effort reported a significant decrease in pollution.
From Go Kunming:
According to municipal government statistics, September’s no-car day had a significant effect on air quality. Carbon monoxide levels dropped 32.9 percent, nitrogen dioxide levels dropped 45.1 percent, ozone was down 39.5 percent, carbon dioxide was down 15.4 percent and airborne particulate matter was reduced by more than one-fifth.
Based upon this initial success, Kunming’s government decided to make downtown car-free on a monthly basis. Downtown streets will be open to buses, taxis, electric scooters, and bicycles.
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If they do manage to get access to the national oil reserves, or reduce taxation on fuel, they’ll just burn more of it, making it run out faster. All they are doing is delaying the inevitable price hike, and avoiding having to adapt to it. Why don’t they just charge more for their services to take into account the cost of providing their services?
Without truckers how will we get the goods everyone relies on everyday? Using the remaining fuels for recreation such as motorcycling, four-wheeling, and snowmobiles in the forest is appalling. However, the people providing us with food, clothing, and all the other necessities of daily life should be supported. Of all the fuel users, truckers are the only ones who should get a break.