Make a smarter travel choice

Smarter Travel Choices schemes boost greener alternatives to using the car like buses, walking and cycling schemes to get kids to school.

Pilot schemes in Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester have been a huge success, with car trips reduced by almost 10% while walking and cycling trips increased by almost a fifth.

Ask your MP to sign EDM 794 in support of a nationwide Smarter Travel Choices programme to promote walking, cycling and public transport, and set us on the path to a cleaner, greener future...

Get on your bike

25% of car trips in the UK are less than two miles and 58% are less than five miles, and the catalytic converter only starts working after 2 miles. Bikes are ideal for short journeys. Check out the Love Your Bike website for inspiration...

Use public transport

One litre of fuel will carry a person 4 miles in a large car, 5.5 miles in a small car, 31 miles in a bus with 40 passengers and 34 miles in a train with 300 passengers.

Share your car

If you feel you need to make a particular journey by car, then see if you could share it with someone (perhaps a colleague) who is making the same journey. Or join a car club to get access to a car near you when you need one - WhizzGo have recently started operating a scheme like this in central Manchester.

(Certain actions taken from 'Go MAD!', published by The Ecologist)