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Bogota sees first "Car-Free Day" of the year

Xinhua, February 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Residents in the Colombian capital of Bogota traveled on Thursday by bicycle or public transportation during "Car-Free Day" to promote a low-carbon lifestyle.

The measure banning the use of private vehicles, staring from 5:00 a.m. local time to 7:30 p.m., was taken by mayor Enrique Penalosa.

According to Bogota's environment department, the measure aims to reduce air pollution because there are 3 million vehicles on the streets everyday in the capital.

Authorities said private cars and trucks are responsible for about 65 percent of CO2 emissions in Bogota, motorcycles for about 12 percent, but public transportation only accounts for 8 percent.

The local bus company TransMilenio announced that it deployed 1,940 large-sized buses for special lanes, while other 6,799 were deployed in the neighborhoods of the capital as a back-up.

There is currently no metro system in the city. Endi