22 September
People are being urged to leave the car at home this week and use public transport instead.
Wednesday 22 September is Car Free Day, an annual, global campaign to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions, by encouraging people to use more environmentally-friendly public transport, walk or cycle instead.
Like many sectors, public transport has been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, with many people working from home, and the pandemic causing staff shortages.
Despite the challenges, operators have continued to run frequent services for key workers and others who rely on public transport for essential tasks, including food shopping, medical appointments, and visiting family members or friends who would otherwise be on their own. At the same time, implementing comprehensive cleaning and other measures to keep passengers safe.
Councillor Sally Longford, Deputy Leader of Nottingham City Council and Portfolio Holder for Energy and Environment, said: “Our bus and tram operators have been fantastic throughout an exceptionally challenging 18 months. Now it’s our turn to show our support, both for them and our environment, by choosing a greener way to travel.
“That’s why this Car Free Day we’re encouraging people to ‘get on board’ and rediscover the benefits of taking the bus or tram instead of using the car.
“We’re fortunate in Nottingham to have a high quality public transport network, thanks to ongoing investment and forward thinking policies. Before Covid, ours was one of the best used networks in the country, outside London. We’re certainly proud to be one of the greenest, with electric trams powered by renewable energy, and the world’s largest fleet of biogas buses.
“We are seeing patronage increase following the easing of restrictions, which is encouraging, and our operators continue to take enhanced measures to keep everyone safe, including advising people to keep wearing face coverings.
“Of course for shorter journeys, we’d continue to encourage people to walk or cycle instead of taking the car, and are continuing our ambitious programme of schemes to make active travel even easier in the city.
“Whether you walk, cycle, use the bus or tram, you’ll be helping the city achieve our goal of becoming the first in the UK to be carbon neutral, which is so important for the health of our residents and visitors.”
Why get on board?
It’s green – Thanks to electric trams powered by only renewable energy, electric buses and the world’s largest fleet of biogas buses, Nottingham has one of the cleanest public transport networks in the country
It’s easy – With frequent services serving all key destinations in the city, including hospitals, universities, and district centres, and 16 miles of bus lanes, it’s easy to get from A to B without sitting in traffic or looking for somewhere to park
It’s contactless – NCT and trentbarton already offer contactless payment, with NET and Linkbus soon to follow
It’s affordable – Bus and tram users can enjoy free parking at nine park and rides across the city, along with competitive pay as you go and season ticket prices on all operators
It’s accessible – Thanks to 100 per cent low floors on buses and trams, and audio and visual announcements, Nottingham’s public transport is for everyone
It’s integrated – Operators work together to offer the Robin Hood Card, providing the best value capped fare for those travelling with more than one operator. Cards are available online and can be managed easily through the Robin Hood Ticketing app, with more products coming soon
It’s safe – Operators continue to follow Covid guidelines, providing enhanced cleaning regimes and keeping services safe
