September saw the West Yorkshire Travel Plan Network run its first ‘Fuel Alert!’ campaign to encourage car drivers to try out public transport for a week, FREE.
Interested car drivers were asked to complete an application form providing details of their current daily car commute to work. From those received, fifty two were selected to take part in the campaign based on how feasible it was for them to leave their car at home and travel to work by bus or train instead.
Participants received a free weekly MetroCard valid on all buses and trains in West Yorkshire, worth £30. Each participant also received a personalised journey planner detailing when and where to get the bus or train to and from work together with a leaflet on Commuting to Work by Bus and Train.
In return for their free tickets, participants were asked to complete a Travel Diary recording all the journeys they made, including why they made the journey and what form of transport they used.
The Travel Diaries revealed that participants made over 500 journeys by public transport instead of using the car. If these journeys had been made by car, over 1.61 tonnes of CO2 would have been emitted and it would take 146 trees to absorb this amount in a year! However, if all the participants continue to use public transport to travel to work, a total of 73.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere would be saved.
Tom Lloyd, from the Travel Plan Network, said ‘these fantastic results show that for many people switching from the car to public transport for the commute to work is a practical, easy option.’
The CO2 savings made through this campaign will added to those already made by members of the West Yorkshire Travel Plan Network which has a target to save 30,000 tonnes of CO2 through workplace travel planning by the end of March 2010.
Our next campaign in the New Year will promote car sharing - look out for more information in our next Newsletter!
