The Go-Ahead Group used last month’s Earth Day to issue a plea to motorists to consider a minor change in their travel habits to make a major difference to the planet. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality, Go-Ahead is asking car commuters to consider leaving their vehicles at home just twice a month for the rest of the year and switch their journey to bus, rail or bicycle.
The bus and rail group argues that motorists typically make around 600 car journeys annually. Switching just one in every 25 of these journeys to a bus – equivalent to a couple of trips a month – would reduce the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions by two million tonnes per year.
Saving two million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions is equivalent to the environmental gain that would be made by switching all the UK’s buses from diesel to zero emission energy sources, such as electricity or hydrogen.
Katy Taylor, Go-Ahead chief strategy and customer officer, says: “Taking public transport is not only the environmental option, it is the best one for our own health and that of our communities. If everyone switched to the bus a couple of times a month, we could collectively rebuild our communities and enjoy the quieter streets from last April while avoiding a car-based recovery from the pandemic.”
Private cars account for 55 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions from transport. Buses and coaches account for around 3 per cent of emissions, and one double-deck bus has the potential to take up to 75 cars off the road.
GoAhead Group ilitumia Siku ya Dunia mwezi uliopita kutoa ombi kwa madereva kuzingatia mabadiliko madogo katika tabia zao za kusafiri kufanya tofauti kubwa kwa sayari. Ili kupunguza uzalishaji wa gesi chafu na kuboresha ubora wa hewa, GoAhead inawaomba wasafiri wa magari kufikiria kuacha magari yao nyumbani mara mbili tu kwa mwezi kwa mwaka mzima na kubadilisha safari yao kwa basi, reli au baiskeli. Kampuni ya Bus & Rail Group inasema kuwa kwa kawaida wanariadha wanafanya safari 600 kwa gari kila mwaka. "Kubadilisha moja tu katika kila safari 25 za kusafiri kwa basi - sawa na safari mbili kwa mwezi - ingepunguza uzalishaji wa kaboni dioksidi ya Uingereza kwa tani milioni mbili kwa mwaka. """ Kuokoa tani milioni mbili za uzalishaji wa kaboni dioksidi ni sawa na faida ya mazingira ambayo ingefanywa kwa kubadilisha mabasi yote ya Uingereza kutoka kwa dizeli hadi vyanzo vya nishati vya uzalishaji wa zero, kama vile umeme au hidrojeni. Katy Taylor, mkuu wa mkakati wa Go-Ahead na afisa wa wateja, anasema: "Kutumia usafiri wa umma sio chaguo la mazingira tu, ni bora kwa afya yetu wenyewe na ile ya jamii zetu. """Ikiwa kila mtu angebadilisha kwenda kwa basi mara mbili kwa mwezi, tunaweza kujenga tena jamii zetu na kufurahia barabara za utulivu kutoka Aprili iliyopita wakati wa kuepuka kupona kwa gari kutoka kwa janga hili,"" alisema." Mabasi na mabasi ya mabasi yanawakilisha karibu asilimia 3 ya uzalishaji wa CO2 na basi moja ya ghorofa mbili ina uwezo wa kuchukua magari hadi 75 kutoka barabarani.