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Green Travel

  • bus

    Public transport links

    Why not let public transport take the strain out of getting to work and save on emissions.

    Find out and plan your route via bus or train with Traveline South West

  • carshare

    Car Share

    Some enquires have been received regarding car sharing and we are therefore looking at creating a database of people that would be interested. Please could you email your details; (name, preferred time of travel and area etc) if you are interested

    Until that is set up why not check out Hampshire's car share

  • cycle

    Walk and Cycle more often

    Yes, it's obvious! But half of the journeys we make are less than two miles long – the perfect length for a decent bit of exercise.

 

Save money and the environment

Left to right: Darren Cooper, Eunice Mabey and Chief Officer John Bonney with the new vehicle

With fuels costs up and down, why not save money and help the environment by trying these top driving tips from the energy saving trust. If that's old news take the eco-driving test and see how you score...

  • Check your revs - change up before 2,500rpm (petrol) and 2,000rpm (diesel).
  • Anticipate road conditions and drive smoothly, avoiding sharp acceleration and heavy braking. This saves fuel and reduces accident rates.
  • Use air conditioning sparingly as it significantly increases fuel consumption.
  • The most efficient speed depends upon the car in question but is typically around 45 - 50mph.Faster speed will greatly increase your fuel consumption.
  • Drive away immediately when starting from cold - idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear.
  • Accessories such as roof racks, bike carriers, and roof boxes significantly affect your car's aerodynamics and reduce fuel efficiency, so remember to remove them when not in use.
  • Avoid short journeys - a cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel and catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective.

Britons illegally dump 994 cars a day. Report abandoned vehicles to the Eco Salvage project at http://www.ecosalvage.com/

Use retread car tyres instead of buying new. Retread Manufacturers Association: http://www.retreaders.org.uk

 
Greener holidays - aeroplane

Enjoy greener holidays...

Activity weekends

For action and excitement, forget flying - you've got convenient options close to home. If you're mountain biking, sailing, or rock-climbing, cut your journey time and enjoy some of Britain's beautiful countryside.

City breaks

With high-speed rail networks spreading across Europe, the delights of cities like Prague, Paris and Amsterdam are easily accessible by train. For old-style romance and excitement, grab a sleeper service.

Beach holidays

For those two weeks in the sun, choosing Spain over Thailand will cut the impact of your flights by 80%, and reduce the jetlag. For an even greener option, take the train - there are high quality sleeper services from Paris to Barcelona and Madrid.

Did you know...

If you were to travel from London to Edinburgh you could reduce your impact on CO2 emissions by two thirds by taking the train instead of flying

If everyone who flies three or more times a year were to take one less return flight across Europe, it would save as much energy as taking nearly half a million cars off the road for a year.

To find out more...