All geared up to saving the planet; COMMUTERS URGED TO DITCH CARS FOR A DAY.

Byline: AMY HUNT

JOIN our drive to make Tyneside cleaner and greener for one day.

Your Chronicle is getting involved with In Town Without My Car Day on September 22 as part of our Go Green campaign.

And we want our readers to jump on board and back our bid to make Tyneside car-free for one day. The international event, supported in the North East by Smarter Choices, Be Air Aware and local councils, aims to encourage people to try out alternative methods of travel in the hope they might consider a permanent change.

On the day last year thousands of you kerbed your cars to try out cycling, walking or a bus or Metro trip to work, college or the shops.

It was all part of a campaign to help improve the environment of the region, cleaning up our air, cutting congestion, getting a bit fitter and saving money at the same time.

Metro operator Nexus estimated an extra 6,000 people used the service on the day last year and Nexus bosses said ticket machine usage was up by 14% compared to the usual average.

The figures beat the numbers achieved the previous year when 5,500 extra passengers passed through city centre Metro stations on the day.

This year green transport organisation Smarter Choices has organised Go Smarter Week, which will run from September 16 to 22.

The aim of the week is to show how simple it is to make small changes which can benefit the environment and your wallet.

On In Town Without My Car Day itself, on September 22, there will be a fair at Monument in Newcastle where travel advisers will give out information and advice to people about green travel.

Tyneside is forecast to have the fastest growth in car ownership in the UK over the next 10 years, with problems such as congestion, air quality and health issues predicted to grow alongside this.

So the Be Air Aware campaign, has been launched to raise awareness of the increasing issue of poor air quality in the area.

On an average working day, around 160,000 vehicles cross the Tyne, Redheugh and Scotswood bridges, many of them cars with just one commuter going to work. When you add in the A1, Blaydon Bridge, Tyne Tunnel and Swing Bridge, the total is 291,000.

And thousands of cars clog up arterial roads, making jams, delays and frustration a feature of commuting.

And all are pumping out gases such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which can not only cause health problems, but contribute to acid rain and global warming.

Visit www.gosmarter.co.uk for more information.

CAPTION(S):

WALKING DRIVE: People on the Millennium Bridge during last year's event, which saw thousands of us leaving our cars at home and either walking or using public transport to get to work

Print Get the Mag Weekly Updates