Island less than 100 miles from the UK where cars are totally banned
- A tiny island in the English Channel has banned cars
- Roads on the island of Sark are completely car-free
- A very restricted list of vehicles are permitted to use its unpaved roads
Published on Jan 01, 2025 at 1:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Nov 27, 2024 at 2:58 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
A tiny island in the English Channel – located just seven miles east of east of Guernsey – has completely banned cars and has no paved roads.
Sark is just 5.5km long (3.3 miles) and 2.5km (1.5 miles) wide, which is lucky really considering you can’t use a car to get around.
It is the smallest self-governing island within the Bailiwick of Guernsey and is one of the United Kingdom’s Crown Dependencies.
This means it has its own set of laws, which are based on Norman law, and its own parliament.
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The island has banned cars but horse-drawn vehicles are permitted
While several countries have introduced specific bans on certain vehicles, such as the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SV, which is outlawed in all 50 US states.
Officials on Sark have gone one step further, banning all cars from its road – only tractors, bicycles, and horse-drawn vehicles are permitted.
Of course, plenty of folks are more than happy to walk around the teeny island and soak up the views.
Sark is serviced by a local ferry, and after arriving at Maseline Harbour, visitors can either make use of the Tractor Bus, walk, or jump on their bike.
For those who don’t have their own bike, there are three cycling hire places on Sark.
It’s not the only place to ban cars
The official Sark website tells would-be visitors that cycling around is a ‘liberating and pleasurable experience’ because there are ‘no cars or pollution to contend with’.
But it does warn that you may have to deal with the odd ‘tractor or horse-drawn carriage’, which sounds interesting.
Although EVs are banned, in 2019 officials in Sark did permit the use of electric bikes to get around; electric-powered mobility scooters are also permitted for those who need them.
Sark isn’t the only place to ban cars, Toronto Island in Canada, Lamu Island in Kenya, Hamilton Island in Queensland, Australia, and Culatra Island in Portugal all have similar restrictions.
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
