Did you know that personal car travel produces 13 per cent of the UK's total greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to local air pollution and congestion? Last year, there were more than 31 million cars on British roads and with car running costs being more than £2,500 a year, there’s never been a better time to ditch the car and find alternative methods of transportation.
Check out our top tips for car-free travel – they might seem obvious, but they’re the best!
Walk
Did you know walking a one-mile trip could save you more than £160 a year in fuel? Walking is free, uses no energy (except your own), produces no pollution and is a great way to get fit and keep you healthy.
Get started
Find your route – we love Walkit.com’s urban walking route planner, which maps out your route, shows you how long it will take and how much CO2 you’ll save.
Also, invest in a good pair of shoes – comfort will keep you walking for longer rather than a brand name!
Cycle
Cycling is up there with walking, and probably a bit quicker too! In the UK, nearly a quarter of all car trips are less than two miles. Simply swapping the car for your bike could save you more than £600 each year in fuel and reduce your carbon footprint too.
Get started
Map your route – when we’re in London, we use the journey planner on the TfL website. For routes throughout the UK, try the National Cycle Network.
Look out for cycle schemes too. London's Barclays Cycle Hire has lots of bikes and docking stations all over the city and special cycle highways. It's the perfect way to get from A to B cheaply and greenly.
Although not compulsory, it’s worth investing in a cycle helmet. Also, a puncture repair kit, bike lockand high-vis jacket wouldn’t go amiss too.
Boat
Using one of the UK’s fantastic river services is a great way to escape congestion, save money and lower your carbon footprint. In London, the River Bus service runs every 15 minutes and takes you past some of the most iconic sites in the capital!
Other cities with river services include: Clyde, Bristol and Liverpool.
Public transport: train and bus
Using public transport instead of your car typically reduces journey-related emissions by half. It’s not nearly as clean a mode of transport as walking or cycling, but the one thing you can guarantee is that public transport will run anyway and produce emissions. If everyone travelling by bus owned a car, but chose to take the bus instead, there could be up to 70 cars less on the road – and that’s just for one bus journey.
Get started
For train journeys, try National Rail, where you can search for journeys and fares.To find local bus services, try transportdirect.info.
Electric cars
If you must use a car to travel, why not drive a zero-carbon electric car? There are already 8,000 registered electric cars in the UK and with initiatives to introduce more charge points across the capital and the UK, you'll never have to worry about charging.
You can find charge points at three of our London stores: Kensington, Bromley-by-Bow and Kennington - offering customers the opportunity to charge their electric car for free.
Leave your comment