MEDIA ADVISORY: Mumbai's First "Car Free Day" to be Co-Sponsored by WRI's EMBARQ

WHAT: Residents, celebrities, cyclists, and government officials will take part in the first-ever Mumbai Car Free Day this Sunday in India.

It’s part of a global movement to encourage motorists to enjoy physical activity and alternate forms of transportation, such as walking and cycling, in a safe, non-motorized, fuel-free environment. Other planned activities include yoga, cricket, dancing, skating, kite flying and musical performances. The event is modeled after initiatives like Bogotá’s Ciclovia and New York City’s Summer Streets.

Member of Parliament Priya Dutt; Baba Siddique, a member of the legislative assembly; and members of the Bangalore Cycling Club are slated to attend. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the Awaaz Foundation will conduct air and noise pollution studies before and after the event.

WHEN: Sunday, February 21, 2010, 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

WHERE: Carter Road, Bandra-Khar, Mumbai (from Café Coffee Day to Otter’s Club)

WHY: The event is organized by the Khar-Bandra-Santa Cruz (KBS) Foundation. EMBARQ and its Mumbai-based partner, the Centre for Sustainable Transport in India, helped organize the event and will have booths, as will other corporate and non-profit partners. Reporters interested in interviewing a transport expert at the event may contact Madhav Pai, technical director at CST-India, at +(91) 9987548808 or mpai@wri.org. For more general information about EMBARQ’s work in India, please contact Erica Schlaikjer, EMBARQ’s media relations coordinator, at +1(202) 729-7722 or eschlaikjer@wri.org.

RSVP: Find more details at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mumbai-Car-Free-Day/248020591215