Sustainable Travel Options

Each of us should strive for solutions in order to improve our daily life and environment. The solutions include: public transport, cycling and walking, ecodriving, car pooling and sharing of our towns.

Public Transport

Public Transport offers a great alternative to the car for many commuters. If you haven’t used the bus recently, you might be pleasantly surprised by the improvements that have taken place.

Cycling

Cycling to work, college or school has to be one of the best ways of getting a fresh air fix, saving money, saving time and all in a trip you've got to do anyway! If it's a trip you've got to do, then why get stuck in a jam?

Cycling for any local trip is worth considering. Cycling can be the fun alternative to joining a gym – it offers all the benefits of regular exercise. Increased aerobic fitness, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, lower cholesterol are some of the rewards. It also helps tone up calves, thighs, and hips and can burn off calories at a rate of up to 700 per hour! Studies have also shown that those who cycle to work have a significantly lower mortality rate.

But you don’t have to be super-fit to enjoy cycling. One of the great things about cycling is you can take it at whatever pace suits you. Choosing to cycle instead of driving gives you the good feeling that you are doing your bit for a more pleasant and cleaner environment. Emissions from road traffic are now the primary threat to the quality of air in Ireland. Cycling is a clean mode of transport that does not generate the harmful exhaust chemicals associated with cars and other vehicles.

By choosing to cycle, you’re also doing your bit to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. Every kilometre you choose to cycle instead of drive saves approximately 250g of CO2 emissions (for an average car in typical urban traffic conditions).

Not only is cycling an easy way of saving on travel time while getting exercise and staying fit, and helping the environment, you’ll also save money.

Walking

We often we end up jumping in the car even for journeys when a short walk would get us wherever we’re going.

But walking to work, college or school – or wherever else you’re going locally - has to be one of the best ways of getting a fresh air fix, saving money, maybe even saving time - all this in a trip you've got to do anyway!

Walking for Health

Walking is not only cheaper than driving and better for the environment, it's good for you as well!

Want to lift your mood and reduce stress levels? Want to be good to your heart, lungs, and lower your cholesterol levels and blood pressure? Start walking! It'll also strengthen bones and lessen the risk of osteoporosis. Regular walking is as good as joining a gym and if you walk while going about your daily routines you don’t have to make time in your schedule for yet another activity. It will keep you fit and can help you lose weight. You'd be surprised what even a short walk can do - walking just two kilometres a day or for twenty minutes briskly will burn off about 125 calories.

Of course not all of us live close enough to work to walk – but maybe you can combine walking with public transport. Where you can, try walking more often to local shops, pubs or restaurants in your area, instead of driving.

Ecodriving

Ecodriving is a way of driving that reduces fuel consumption, greenhouse emissions and accident rates. Ecodrivng is above driving in a style suited to a modern engine technology: smart, smooth and safe driving techniques that lead to average fuel savings of 5-10%. Ecodriving offers many benefits inlcuding cost saving, reduction in accidents and emissions and noise levels.

Golden Rules of Ecodriving

Ecodriving is easy to learn and it has been shown that it has a substantial impact on driving behaviour, on safety and on fuel consumption without increasing travel time.

There are five basic rules to follow:

Shift up as soon as possible: shift up between 2.000 and 2.500 revolutions.
Maintain a steady speed: use the highest gear possible and drive with low engine RPM.
Anticipate traffic flow: look ahead as far as possible and anticipate to surrounding traffic
Decelerate smoothly: when you have to slow down or to stop, decelerate smoothly by releasing the accelerator in time, leaving the car in gear.
Check the tyre pressure frequently: 25% too low tyre pressure increases rolling resistance by 10% and your fuel consumption by 2%.

For more information and additional tips on ecodriving please visit the ECODRIVEN European Project website: http://www.ecodrive.org/

Car Pooling

Car pooling, car-sharing or ride-sharing involves two or more people sharing a lift. One of the people travelling is usually the owner of the vehicle and the other(s) usually make a contribution towards fuel costs.

You can share a car for any journey – be it to and from work, taking the children to school, visiting friends, on a shopping trip or travel to any other event or leisure activities. It can take place either as a regular occurrence or just a one-off journey.

Car Pooling simply aims to reduce pollution and expenses by reducing car usage.

Benefits of Car Pooling:

The numerous benefits of lift-sharing for individuals and employees are the following:

Cost savings: divide fuel cost and parking charges equally between driver and passenger(s), making the trip cheaper for everyone
Relieving traffic jams: Stuck in traffic? Car Pooling is one means of vastly reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicles commuting everyday
Greener trips: less private vehicles on the road means less car emissions, noise, fossil energy consumption, pressures on the environment… with the result of a better quality of life
Low-car lifestyle: for those who don’t drive everyday car pooling can help them to live without owning a private car
Sense of community and well-being: car pooling can help people get to know neighbours and/or colleagues better
Less car parking spaces: employers can make significant reductions in parking provision, often resulting in cost savings for the company