Scots Urged To Use Green Transport

A new campaign encouraging drivers to leave their cars at home will get underway next week.

The Go Greener travel and transport campaign is promoting the benefits of leaving the car at home “when you can”, particularly for shorter journeys.

Featuring 80s pop icon Gary Numan and his number one single ‘Cars’, the TV adverts will promote a “travel differently” message. Radio, outdoor and online advertising will also be used featuring the campaign’s Mr Earth character.

Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said:

“We fully appreciate that people need to use their cars when going about their daily lives, whether that is for business or for leisure. However cars make a serious contribution to emissions of greenhouse gases as well as contributing to local air pollution. If we want to tackle the effects of climate change and achieve our world-leading emissions reduction targets, it is clear we all need to take action in a range of areas, including our travel choices.

“One in three journeys are less than two miles and drivers could help cut emissions as well as pocket some savings by leaving their car at home at least once a week.

“The Government is also taking action by investing in infrastructure that tackles congestion, improves connectivity and reduces journey times. We are building new rail lines, improving the bus network and putting money into other forms of sustainable travel such as cycling and walking. But we all need to do more to address our travel behaviour.”


Commenting on his involvement with the campaign, Gary Numan said:

“It’s great to take part in a campaign like this. Leaving the car on short journeys is something we can all probably do more of, and I’ll certainly be trying.”

Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Brian Souter, who is supporting the campaign, said:

“We are proud to be part of the Scottish Government's Go Greener campaign. Public transport has a crucial role to play in cutting global carbon emissions and we are also doing what we can as a business to reduce our own carbon footprint.

"Our research has found that climate change is of real concern to our customers. They want to help do something about it and taking public transport instead of commuting by car is perhaps the single most effective way for people to make a difference.

"As well as being a greener, smarter option, public transport can also be a cheaper way to travel, which is really important to families in the current economic environment. We hope that by promoting the benefits of sustainable public transport we can help make it easier for people to have greener lifestyles."

Councillor Alistair Watson, chairman of Strathclyde Passenger Transport, which is also backing the campaign, said:

“We’re delighted to support the Scottish Government’s Go Greener campaign for Travel and Transport.

“As Scotland’s largest Regional Transport Partnership, SPT encourages people to get out of their cars and think about more sustainable ways to travel such as public transport, walking and cycling.

“Go Greener is a great campaign because it gives people all the information they need to make these vital lifestyle changes – which will have lasting benefits for their health, their wallet and our planet.”

Sir Moir Lockhead, Chief Executive of FirstGroup, Britain's largest bus and rail operator, said:

"We have a collective responsibility to leave the planet in as good a shape as possible for future generations. Public transport provides people with a real opportunity to significantly reduce their carbon emissions.

“FirstGroup's buses and trains produce significantly less carbon emissions per passenger kilometre than cars. We are doing our best to encourage motorists to consider public transport as a safe, sustainable, reliable and cost effective alternative.

"FirstGroup is delighted to be joining forces with the Scottish Government’s Go Greener campaign to help highlight the steps we can all take to help reduce carbon emissions across Scotland."