Futures Forum: "Supporting town centres with cheaper parking"
perhaps looking at alternative ways to get about should also be supported:
What is Green Transportation?
Transportation is a major contributor in global climate change. It accounts for almost 23% of the world’s total carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Of these total carbon dioxide emissions, road transport accounts for 75% and this share is increasing every day. Around 95% of all road transportation depends on oil; this corresponds to 60% of world’s total oil consumption. All this puts lot of pressure on the national governments to devise policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as oil demands.
Transportation, being a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, is the prime target for reducing air pollution and obtaining sustainable environment. This leads to Green Transportation, which means any kind of transportation practice or vehicle that is eco-friendly and does not have any negative impact on the immediate environment.
There are loads of reasons to support 'green transport':
And the latest idea is that it's good for your health - if not your wealth:
Buses make people healthier and wealthier, research finds
James Richards 24 Oct 16
Improving local bus services can boost employment and improve income, helping to reduce social deprivation, research published by Greener Journeys has found.
Greener Journeys, a coalition of the UK’s leading public transport organisations, user groups and supporters, commissioned KPMG and the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds to carry out the research. It is the first to measure the impact of bus services on deprivation.
It found that if the bus services in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods across England were improved by 10%, there would be significant, tangible improvements to that area.
In this case, the improvements as estimated in the report would be: 9,909 more jobs, as a consequence of a 2.7% fall in employment deprivation; increased income for more than 22,647 people, as a consequence of a 2.8% drop in income deprivation; and 2,596 fewer years of life lost.
Also, 7,313 more people would have adult skills and there would be an increase in post-16 education of around 0.7%.
The report, The Value of the Bus to Society, considered the impact that bus services have on the ability of households to participate in economic and social activities and, ultimately, on levels on economic, social and environmental deprivation.
In the UK, one in four people are risk of social exclusion, and the same number of people do not have access to a car.
Previous research by Greener Journeys highlighted that existing bus services bring substantial economic benefits to the UK. Around 3.5 million people travel to work by bus, and it is estimated these commuters generate more than £64bn worth of goods and services per year.
Furthermore, it highlighted the “vast rewards” that can accrue from proper investment in local bus infrastructure, concluding that every £1 spent on local bus traffic priority measures delivers up to £7 in economic benefit.
Greener Journeys called on the government to prioritse investment in buses and local bus infrastructure, and advised decision-makers to consider the wider social benefits of projects when assessing transport schemes.
Chief executive Claire Haigh said that the research demonstrated the fact that bus travel could help alleviate deprivation and improve people’s life chances. She said: “This new evidence shows that bus investment is not just a transport policy – it is a health policy, and education policy, a skills policy, a well-being policy, and a social cohesion policy.
“Bus investment can deliver truly inclusive and sustainable economic growth,” she added.
Katie Schmuecker, head of policy at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said that solving the problem of poverty was crucial in delivering the prime minister’s aim to create a country that ‘works for everyone’.
She said: “As this report shows, buses play a central part in fighting poverty, keeping those on lower incomes or the unemployed, connected to economic opportunities.”
Buses make people healthier and wealthier, research finds | Public Finance
“Buses make people healthier and wealthier” | East Devon Watch
The full report and other info from Greener Journeys is here:
Greener Journeys - Make the switch to Bus and Coach
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