"One full bus load of passengers means about 40 less cars on the road and World Car Free Day presents an ideal occasion to promote public transport use and remind the community that there are viable alternatives to cars," he said.
For those in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, the popular Route 122 Whakatane to Ohope via Awatapu and Whakatane Hospital service will be free for the day - rewarding regular passengers, including students, with a free trip and encouraging those who haven't used the service to give it a go.
Informal car free days took place throughout the 1990s and the first official World Car Free Day was launched in 2000. Many big cities, like Bogota and Jakarta, close their central roads on this day and fill them with walking and cycling events and smaller car-free events take place around the world.