Pedestrian Day

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the government reduced the observance from weekly to the first Sunday of each month, and the initiative was ultimately withdrawn altogether in August 2013 following sustained objections from commuters and businesses who found the weekly disruption impractical.^[1]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.

See also

• International Day of Happiness
• Blessed Rainy Day (Thrue-bab)
• National Day of Bhutan

References

1. Pedestrian Day Experience in Thimphu, Bhutan — ResearchGate
2. Bhutan's growing traffic problems — The Bhutanese
3. Vehicle import to be allowed but with heavy taxes and additional fuel tax — The Bhutanese