No My Car Day is a
Japanese gairaigo word written in
katakana as ノーマイカーデー (
nô mai kâ dê).
On No My Car Day, which varies from region to region, prefectural and municipal governments offer discounts on mass transit passes or park and ride to entice commuters to leave their car at home. Many companies make their employees use the subway or light rail on No My Car Day, which often frustrates salarymen who like to drive.
Here are some areas that observe No My Car Day as of November 2002:
- Osaka: Every Friday. Osaka City Subway day passes are available for ¥600, ¥250 off the regular price.
- Kobe: The twentieth of every month is "Hanshin No My Car Day," when several cities in the Hanshin belt offer a single reduced-fare pass for trains and buses.
- Fukui: The first and sixteenth of every month. Several stations offer free and reduced parking.
- Fukuoka: The fourteenth of every month. No perks offered.
The government of France is currently experimenting with the No My Car Day idea, and apparently having some success of their own in bringing commuters to mass transit.