When Is Car-Free Day in Nis and Arandjelovac?
European Mobility Week began today with a bike ride in Belgrade, and events continue through September 22 in Nis, Arandjelovac, Novi Sad, Subotica and Novi Pazar.
Planning to drive through downtown Nis on September 22? You won’t be able to, at least not between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. That day, Vozda Karadjordja and Generala Milojka Lesjanina streets close to traffic, and it’s just the last and biggest day of European Mobility Week, which kicked off today in six Serbian cities.
European Mobility Week was launched by the European Commission in 2002, and the idea is simple: for one week, cities put walking, cycling and public transport ahead of cars. Last year, more than 2,700 cities in 45 countries joined the worldwide campaign. This year, running from September 16 to 22, the theme is “Mobility for All,” with Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, Novi Pazar, Arandjelovac and Subotica taking part. The campaign is organized by the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, together with the European Investment Bank, the Transport Community and the EU’s Green Agenda project, which Tour de Fun carries out on the ground.
How it started in Belgrade
The campaign opened in Belgrade today with a bike ride from the European House on Knez Mihailova Street to Drinka Pavlovic Elementary School, where students took part in a traffic safety program and a cycling skills course run by Tour de Fun. The ride was led by Olympic cyclist Ivan Stevic, while Paralympic cyclist Milan Petrovic, who is blind, led the part of the program devoted to accessibility, sharing with students his personal experience of moving around the city without sight. The school also received a bicycle and a set of safety equipment for future classes.
Talis Linkaits, director of the Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community, also spoke at the opening:
“European Mobility Week reminds us that mobility must be available to everyone, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and everyone who cannot rely on using a private car. Cleaner buses, reliable and affordable public transport, safe cycling paths and better conditions for walking mean cleaner air, safer streets and easier access to schools, workplaces and services. Through our activities, the Transport Community helps the relevant institutions plan and shape cities according to people’s needs, so that public transport, walking, cycling, accessibility and cleaner vehicles become part of one integrated system.”
Andreas von Bekerat, the European Union’s Ambassador to Serbia, added that safe, accessible and environmentally friendly mobility without harmful emissions is not a luxury but essential to quality of life. Damjan Sorel, head of the European Investment Bank’s Regional Center for the Western Balkans, said the bank has so far invested more than 3.6 billion euros in Serbia’s transport sector, from railway modernization to roads and waterways.
What’s happening in Nis, day by day
If you’re in Nis, here’s the exact schedule:
- September 16 and 17, 2 to 6 p.m., Kralja Milana Square: free electric scooter safety course
- September 17, noon to 2 p.m., City Hall: presentation of a micromobility project
- September 18, 10 a.m. to noon, Nade Tomic Street: children’s street art workshop
- September 21, noon, IKS Regional Center: presentation of the City of Nis Traffic Study
- September 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Vozda Karadjordja and Generala Milojka Lesjanina streets: traffic closed, with sports activities on Kralja Milana Square
September 22 is also the day the week officially closes, known as Car-Free Day.
Arandjelovac, Subotica and Novi Pazar
In Arandjelovac, Car-Free Day will turn part of Kneza Milosa Street into a space for pedestrians and cyclists, with a children’s traffic safety zone and a “City Safari” walk dedicated to accessibility. Subotica has bike tours on the schedule as part of the Resilient Cities project, while Novi Pazar is holding walking and cycling activities, route mapping and a photo exhibition.
Is it worth going out
If you live in one of the six cities and want to test whether a bike or scooter can replace the car, at least for shorter trips, this is the week for it. The safety courses are free, the workshops are aimed at children, and Car-Free Day in Nis and Arandjelovac is a good chance to see what a street without traffic looks like, even if you’re not planning to change your habits overnight. One practical tip: if your route runs through downtown Nis before 1 p.m. on September 22, plan for a detour.
