Backseat Buddies Rolls Into Kolkata Car Show

Earth Day Network–India was at Kolkata’s annual, major draw event, the Vintage Car Rally, promoting Backseat Buddies, our student carpooling campaign.  This year’s event was held on January 13 at the army stadium. Our entire team, there from early morning, reached out to the hundreds of vintage car enthusiasts and the spectators who came to see the parade. Our booth attracted young and old alike as we ran an environmental quiz and held other activities, including a carbon footprint game designed by our volunteer Deepal Doshi. The outreach for Backseat Buddies was tremendous. Many of the vintage car owners were so impressed with the campaign and the likely benefits it would have – reducing traffic congestion and pollution in the region – that they eagerly held up the Backseat Buddies signs in support of the campaign during the event. The Backseat Buddies theme song was played from the stage and heard all over the huge grounds, and it got the loudest cheer of the day from the audience! The Statesman, a leading newspaper that sponsored the event, also wrote a great article on our campaign and our presence at the event.

EDN’s Debapriya Dutt in the driver’s seat with two of our volunteers as her ‘Backseat Buddies.’

EDN-India Director Karuna Singh at the EDN booth.

Vintage car owners holding up a Backseat Buddies sign during the show.