MOTORISTS ARE INVITED to take part in EU ‘Leave Your Car’ at Home Day (Tuesday 22 September).
This is the thirteenth consecutive year this European wide event has taken place, which was introduced to encourage people who normally rely on their cars to leave them at home and consider other ways of travelling.
To help promote awareness of the day people are being challenged to leave their car at home and join colleagues in finding alternative ways of getting to and from work.
Sunderland City Council’s ‘GO SMARTER’ sustainable transport campaign team is promoting the challenge, and encouraging staff at the civic centre and workplaces across the city to get involved as part of EU Mobility Week (September 16-22) .
Portfolio Holder for City Services, Councillor Michael Mordey said: “So many people rely on their cars so much that they often forget that other forms of transport are available.
“Having a ‘Leave Your Car at Home Day’ is a great way to encourage motorists to think for a moment and consider that there are cheaper, healthier and more environmentally friendly ways of travelling.
“I hope that people support the day and walk, cycle or use public transport to get about and enjoy the experience so much that they consider these as their long term travelling and transport options.”
Sunderland City Council’s sustainable transport team is part of the national Department for Transport funded GO SMARTER campaign launched in 2012 to promote more sustainable forms of transport to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions and increase people’s health and well-being.
The team has engaged thousands of staff from some of the region’s largest employers including Nissan and HMRC in sustainable travel events and activities over the last three years.
This has included helping local businesses to hold staff travel surveys to see how and where employees might be encouraged to walk, cycle, car share or use public transport to get to work, with Sunderland City Council the latest of the region’s largest employers to take part.