Motorists in Damascus's Old City were asked to give up their cars for a day on Saturday to improve air quality in the Syrian capital, a Sputnik correspondent said
DAMASCUS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th December, 2019) Motorists in Damascus's Old City were asked to give up their cars for a day on Saturday to improve air quality in the Syrian capital, a Sputnik correspondent said.The ban on vehicles, most of which use low-quality fuel, lasted from 11 a.m. (9:00 GMT) until 6 p.m. (16:00 GMT).
The first-ever car-free day was welcomed by residents who called routine traffic jams "stifling."
Many people used electric scooters and bikes to get around. The city administration designated several electric cars for carpooling.
Exceptions were made for resident drivers and emergency vehicles. The Sputnik correspondent said several cars with Lebanon-issued license plates were spotted flouting the ban.
Damascus authorities are working on a legislation that would ban non-green vehicles from the city's historic district to make it more attractive to tourists, the provincial transport minister said last year.
