Under the theme "Let's take a break from driving our cars. Let's be eco-friendly on No Car Days," Tokushima Prefecture is running gift campaigns to promote the use of public transportation on the 10th, 20th and 30th day of each month. The campaign is being done in collaboration with nine public transportation bodies in the prefecture and the national Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Tokushima is one of four prefectures on the island of Shikoku in western Japan.

The summer campaign is being held from May 10 to July 30, 2005, and the autumn-winter campaign will be held from September 20 to December 30, 2005. On the 10th, 20th and 30th of each month during the campaigns, each applicant must use the specified public transportation services, including JR Shikoku and Tokushima Bus Co., and collect five stickers from the ride. They then enter for the draw by sending a postcard with the stickers attached. A total of 768 winners selected in the draw will receive prizes, including dinner coupons and round-trip air tickets between Tokushima and Tokyo, worth one million yen (about U.S.$9,350) in total.

The event aims not only to tackle global warming but also to alleviate traffic congestion in the busiest zones of the city, particularly during morning and evening rush hours, when private car use is the heaviest. Hoping for a high level of citizen participation, the prefectural government expects to receive a combined total of about 40,000 entries from both campaigns.

Tokushima Prefecture adopted the "Environmental Capital Tokushima Charter" in May 2005. It includes a concrete action plan named "Try 21" to encourage citizens to walk, ride bicycles, and use public transportation services such as buses, as well as to select energy-efficient cars and to stop car idling.



Posted: 2005/07/23 11:10:51 PM
Japanese version

TAG Global warming , Government , Local government , Non-manufacturing industry , Transportation