Farid Abdulganiev studied the Moscow metro map, while inspectors went on an ecological raid on bikes The "Car Free Day" campaign is held today.

The "Car Free Day" world campaign is held today. Traditionally, fellow workers of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan refused cars for one day and used alternative means of transportation, namely public transportation and bikes. The Minister for Ecology Farid Abdulganiev, being on a business trip in Moscow, opted for electrical transportation: "I believe it is not a problem to refuse a car for one day and to use public transportation instead or even go for a walk. Despite the fact that I am in Moscow, I mostly use subway, and I have walked a lot today. In Tatarstan, more than 60 thousand car-owners refuse their personal means of transportation on this day. When you think that, on average, one car discharges with exhaust gases about 5-6 kg of pollutants every day, you might speak about a decrease in car discharges, namely carbon oxide, nitrogen dioxide, benzopyrene, suspended materials and sulfur compositions - as much as 300 tons". The parking lot adjacent to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan is empty - fellow workers of the Federal Treasury Department for the Republic of Tatarstan also left their "iron horses" at home.

On the other hand, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan Adel Vafin and the First Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of Kazan Damir Fattakhov got to work on bikes having integrated such ideas as ecology, healthcare and sports. State inspectors of the Ministry of Ecology followed their example. They went out on a daily raid on bikes. "Raids on bikes are a common thing for today's ecological specialists. If the weather is fine, and if there is an opportunity to replace a car with a bike, we are happy to do it", informed the Head of the State Inspection of Ecological Surveillance under the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan, Almaz Zakirov.

The "Car Free Day" campaign is designed to remind of the negative influence of vehicles on the environment and to urge people think over the idea to use alternative transportation means.

Press Service of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Tatarstan