Bogotá: No Car Day

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Scene from the Virrey Park on No Car Day.
Scene from the Virrey Park on No Car Day.

Bogotanos woke up Thursday facing the challenge of how to traverse this city of eight million without being able to use their vehicles or motorcycles. While the license plate restriction for many taxis remains in effect for No Car Day, the Mayoralty of Gustavo Petro began urging city folk to take full advantage of the Integrated Public Transport System (SITP) which operates the TransMilenio articulated buses.

As morning rush hour approached, Bogotanos have taken advantage of the warm and sunny weather to head to work on bicycles. As the city’s streets are void of cars, the district has tweeted that there is less congestion on TransMilenio than was originally expected, especially in the south of the city which moves millions of commuters north along bus-only designated routes.

The No Car Day began at 5:00 am and runs until 7:30 pm, and for the first time in 15 years, this year the mobility restriction has included motorbikes.

Drivers who break the No Car Day policy will be fined $267.000 pesos and the car towed away to the pound. Motorbikes face a $308.000 pesos fine. In order to facilitate bicycles, the city’s recreation department, Instituto Distrital de Recreación y Deporte (IDRD) has opened up 376 kms of bike lane ciclorrutas, which span from Bosa and Kennedy in the south to Engativá Chapinero, Teusaquillo and Puente Aranda. There are four bicycle corridors along the Carrera Séptima, the downtown Eje Ambiental, the National University and El Virrey’s park area. The district will offer a picnic from noon to 2 pm in the El Virrey and Parkway green zones.

 

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