Pedestrian Day was a vehicle-free-day policy introduced in Bhutan in June 2012, initially banning private vehicles from the core of Thimphu and other towns every Tuesday. Launched during the rupee crisis to curb fuel imports and emissions and to encourage walking, it was scaled back to a monthly observance later in 2012 and withdrawn in August 2013 after objections from commuters and businesses.
Pedestrian Day was a short-lived vehicle-free-day initiative in Bhutan under which private motor vehicles were barred from the central areas of Thimphu and other district towns on a designated day each week. It was introduced in June 2012, when the government designated every Tuesday a vehicle-free day in the core of Thimphu, and it was promoted as a measure to reduce fuel consumption, cut emissions and encourage walking.[1]
The policy was launched at the height of the 2011–2012 rupee crisis, when record levels of vehicle and fuel imports were identified as a significant drain on Bhutan's Indian-rupee reserves. Reducing the use of imported fuel was therefore both an environmental goal — consistent with the country's Gross National Happiness-aligned emphasis on sustainability — and a response to an acute external-balance problem.[2]
Implementation and withdrawal
Under the original rule, only emergency vehicles, public transport and a limited set of essential services were exempt on the designated day, and residents were expected to walk or use buses. The frequency proved contentious. In November 2012 the government reduced the observance from weekly to the first Sunday of each month, and the initiative was ultimately withdrawn altogether in August 2013 following sustained objections from commuters and businesses who found the weekly disruption impractical.[1]
The episode formed part of a wider set of crisis-era restrictions on motoring and imports. Bhutan had suspended the import of private vehicles during the rupee crunch; when the ban was lifted from 2014, vehicle imports were instead subjected to sharply higher taxes and an additional levy on fuel, raising the fuel tax from 25 to 30 per cent.[3] Pedestrian Day is now remembered as a notable, if short-lived, experiment in transport and environmental policy that ran up against the practical realities of a growing, car-dependent capital.
References
See also
Chhukha Hydropower Plant
The Chhukha Hydropower Plant is a 336 MW run-of-river hydroelectric facility on the Wang Chhu river in Chhukha District, southwestern Bhutan. Commissioned in 1986 with Indian financial and technical assistance, it was Bhutan's first major hydropower project and established the template for Indo-Bhutanese hydropower cooperation that has since defined the country's economy.
society·6 min readParo International Airport
Paro International Airport (IATA: PBH, ICAO: VQPR), situated in the Pa Chhu river valley at an elevation of 2,235 metres, is Bhutan's primary international airport and one of the most challenging airports in the world. Surrounded by peaks as high as 5,500 metres, the airport permits only specially certified pilots to operate commercial flights, with all operations restricted to daylight hours and visual meteorological conditions.
society·9 min readJangsa Animal Saving Trust
Jangsa Animal Saving Trust is a Bhutanese non-profit organisation founded in 2000 by Lama Kunzang Dorjee Rinpoche, dedicated to the Buddhist practice of saving animal lives (tsethar) and advocating for animal welfare across Bhutan.
society·4 min readFive-Year Plans of Bhutan
Bhutan's Five-Year Plans have guided the country's development since 1961, when the First Five-Year Plan was launched with Indian financial support. Now on the 13th Five-Year Plan, the planning process has evolved from basic infrastructure development to GNH-guided holistic planning overseen by the Gross National Happiness Commission.
society·6 min read21st Century Economic Roadmap of Bhutan
The 21st Century Economic Roadmap is a strategic vision articulated by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the Royal Government of Bhutan to diversify the national economy beyond its traditional reliance on hydropower, agriculture, and foreign aid. Key pillars include digital transformation, Gelephu Mindfulness City, tourism reform, and integration into the global knowledge economy.
society·6 min readYouth Emigration from Bhutan
Bhutan has experienced a significant wave of youth emigration since the early 2020s, with over 66,000 citizens — more than 8 per cent of the population — reported to have left the country, primarily for Australia. Driven by limited domestic employment opportunities, low wages, and aspirations for higher education and economic mobility, the emigration wave has raised concerns about brain drain, demographic sustainability, and the future of Bhutan's development model.
society·8 min read
Test Your Knowledge
Think you know about this topic? Try a quick quiz!
Help improve this article
Do you have personal knowledge about this topic? Were you there? Your experience matters. BhutanWiki is built by the community, for the community.
Anonymous contributions welcome. No account required.