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Following the success of 'Alternative Transport Week' last year, the Jersey team behind the initiative are heading to Guernsey to encourage more people across both islands to ditch their cars for a week.
The challenge to reduce congestion by replacing solo car journeys with car sharing, bike rides, walking or bus trips, is taking place this year between 15 and 19 May.
Alternative Transport Week began in Jersey last year and was the brainchild of Kate Huntingdon.
“Following the success of Alternative Transport Week in Jersey in 2022, we are back for another challenge in May 2023 and this time we’re inviting those able to in Guernsey to join us in trying out alternatives to the car such as walking, cycling or using the bus," she Ms Huntingdon.
"We want islanders to make their commute part of their day rather than getting from A to B and hope that they will realise how much joy a commute can be.”
Pictured: Alternative Transport Week will be running during May.
Jersey's Alternative Transport Week organisers are working with Guernsey's Better Journeys Project team to promote ways of encouraging people to leave their cars at home for one week only, in a bid to start forming new habits.
Barrie Duerden from Guernsey's Better Journeys Project hopes the week long campaign will encourage new habits - which may be useful when the Island Games come to Guernsey less than two months later.
“From our extensive traffic monitoring, we know that commuting habits are very ingrained with no rise in cycling or walking compared to car use (70%+) whatever the season or in school holidays.
"We have limited road space and there are people that need to use cars, vansand lorries: Commercial firms, public services, emergency services, young families and those with mobility challenges. These islanders have no option but to deal with congestion at busy times.
"The answer is for more islanders who are outside those groups to take the opportunity to travel sustainably; including car sharing as this will help ease congestion for those that need to drive.”
Pictured: The aim of Alternative Transport Week is to get people out of their cars.
The organisers say the aim of the week is for people to have fun while trying more sustainable transport.
in Guernsey, the BJP team will be co-ordinating activities such as 'carioke', cycle trains and walking buses. They will also be helping firms with ideas on how to generate interest from their staff through encouraging healthy competition with activities, such as step counting and rewarding them with coffee and cake if they complete a week of active travel. For inter-island firms, there’s also the prospect of ‘muratti’ challenges!
Information packs will be available via hello!@betterjourneys.gg and Mark Smith of the BJP hopes they will be helpful for businesses across the Channel Islands who want to take part.
“A KPMG study shows that up to 45% of a business’s carbon emissions come from employees commuting to and from work in Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man," he said.
"Firms can make a significant contribution to becoming net zero by simply encouraging employees to travel more sustainably. Not only that, studies show significant improvement in employees wellbeing, both physical and mental, reduced sickness and improved performance for employees that walk or cycle to work."
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