From Brighton to Manchester, in towns and cities, individuals and businesses across Britain have embraced the ethos of Green Transport Week (GTW).
In the 15 years since GTW was first launched as one of the Environmental Transport Association’s (ETA) leading campaigning initiatives in 1993, there is an even greater imperative to lessen the impact of our daily lives on our environment.
“We created Green Transport Week to provide our members with support and information about transport and the environment. Its aim then, as it still is today, is to involve millions of people in activities that highlight our transport impact on the environment and show how it can be reduced.” said director Andrew Davis, who founded the ETA.
“Nottingham is a good example of a city that has positively embraced the need to make the local community a greener, safer, healthier and more pleasant place to live.” Andrew continues, “As part of a wider initiative the city runs Greenweeks running up to GTW that aims to celebrate sustainability. They are again promoting a Liftshare day this June, promoting their car share on-line database. The city claims that use of buses is higher than anywhere in the UK outside London, and has made a popular introduction of trams as an alternative.”
Today Green Transport Week encompasses individuals, cycling groups, schools, businesses and motor manufacturers. Consumers now have more green transport choices than ever before with duel fuel, hybrid and gas cars as real alternatives alongside public transport. No means of transport is omitted – even new urban ferry services have been introduced during the week.
“We need businesses to help staff to manage their journeys to work in an environmentally friendly way,” continues Andrew. “Staff need to be given incentives to change behaviour. Cycle facilities, a car share scheme, a move towards reducing unnecessary car journeys, such as flexible working and video conferencing are all working in some communities. It just needs a bit of thought and such ideas could be introduced across Britain with a dramatic effect on our carbon footprint.”
In Peterborough the local council has published a cycle route map with a Green Wheel cycle route at its heart encompassing the city. They say that cycling trips have increased by 25% since 2004, and that car trips have decreased by 13% in the same period.
Cities such as Manchester are testing duel fuel buses – an electric diesel hybrid – as an alternative to conventional engines, with much lower C02 emissions. This is part of a wider initiative to get the community motivated towards change to help preserve the local as well as global environment.
As more and more people get the message about our impact on the environment, Green Transport Week becomes a bigger and better annual platform for promoting alternative methods of transportation, thorough a range of activities. Green Transport Week is not just about global warming but all the other aspects of life that are affected by our use of transport.
Green Transport Week takes place around Britain from 16-24 June 2007.
