Council staff swap car journeys to help “Change the World”

Staff of The Highland Council are entering into the spirit of Change Your Life Week (29 June – 4 July), by walking, cycling, car-sharing or using public transport to get to work.

Many already travel sustainably while others have agreed to swap one car trip this week to help the green cause.

It is estimated that one in four car journeys is less than two miles.  These short journeys are the easiest for people to swap to active travel when they can enjoy the fresh air and walk or cycle to their destination instead of taking a car. 

Malina MacDonald, Council Travel Plan Co-ordinator, is leading by example by combining walking, cycling, car-sharing and using public transport to get to work this week.

She said: “If we all take this one easy action and swap one return trip a week for a sustainable mode, together we'll reduce our CO2 emissions by 20%, which can also improve physical and mental health and save money.”

She has urged colleagues to play their part in Change Your World Week and is delighted with the response.

She added: “A great deal of staff already reduce their carbon footprint by travelling to work in a sustainable way.  We hope that those people who have been persuaded to swap a car journey this week will continue to do so.”

Head Teacher at Alness Academy Ken MacIver cycled to school and back home to Inverness.

Elissa Steven, a sports coaching administrator with Coaching Highland, cycled from her home to Invershin railway station, took her bike on the train and then cycled to her work at the Bught, Inverness.

Steve McDermott, waste management assistant – awareness-raising, has not only chosen a variety of sustainable ways of getting to work in Inverness from his home at Flichity but has also recently reduced his two cars to one. He is cycling one day, getting a lift another and taking public transport another.