The continent that invented the car will turn its back on its creation on Wednesday, with the stging of a "car-free day" in more than 150 European towns and cities, many of them grappling with major problems of pollution and congestion. Towns across France and Italy, as well as in the Swiss canton of Geneva, will launch initiatives to promote use of public transport or close off their centres for the day, admitting only pedestrians, roller-skaters, buses and environmentally-friendly electric vehicles.