Arterial roads and town centres will be closed to all traffic, except route buses, on September 18 when Malta and the rest of Europe celebrate Car Free Day.

It will be the first time in years that roads will actually be closed for the occasion. Over the past years motorists were urged not to use their cars on the day but roads remained open.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority said in Outlook, its journal on environmental protection and planning, that on September 18, a Sunday, it would conduct an air quality monitoring exercise on the major arterial roads when they were free of traffic and compare the results with normal traffic days.

NGOs and local councils will hold activities in the car-free areas.

A committee formed of representatives of Mepa and government departments and authorities is preparing events for the day. Its purpose is to raise awareness on how the individual citizen can be part of the solution to reduce traffic congestion.

The committee will promote the use of public transport, raise awareness on excessive dependence on car transport, encourage a shift in public attitudes towards alternative, more environmentally-friendly forms of mobility and show that a reduction of cars can improve air quality and reduce noise pollution.