Five Nottinghamshire County Council employees who declared their dependence on the car earlier this year have made a ‘U’ turn by taking part in a competition which has helped them to change their travel habits.
The ‘Married to the Motor’ competition aimed to encourage County Council staff to reduce their reliance on the car to help improve the environment and the winner will be announced at a special ceremony at the BBC next Wednesday (4th October 2006).
The self confessed car addicts had to produce ‘before’ diaries on their driving habits which the Council’s ‘travel doctor’ Claire Fleming examined and offered advice on alternative modes of transport such as buses, cycles and walking.
The after’ diaries showed a marked improvement in travel behaviour with one contestant going to the extreme length of selling her car, buying a bike and also walking to work every day. In addition, one shopping obsessed contestant acted on advice by shopping online, another lost four pounds in weight by replacing his car trips with bike rides
The winning contender will be the person who made the most effort to reduce their car use over the course of a week in June and will be awarded with a break for two in London, including first class return rail tickets courtesy of Midland Mainline.
Runner-up prizes include NCT easyrider Anytime bus cards for travel on NCT buses and cycle vouchers as a reward for their efforts in the competition.
Claire Fleming said: “The ‘before’ diaries have been a real eye opener – one of the contestants spent an hour a week driving their dog to its walking spot!
Many work-related car trips could have been carried out on public transport more easily, which the contestants never considered until they took part in the summer.
“We hope this competition will lead the way and encourage other staff to change their travel habits for the benefit of the environment.”
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