(Give Your Community a lift )
How did you fare during the recent fuel crisis? Are you prepared for the next one?
Did you start looking at other ways of getting about - rather than using your car for every journey? Bus, train, bike, walking .it isn't always easy, is it? Sometimes, it seems as if there's no convenient alternative to using your car. Well, maybe there is? Have you thought about car-sharing? It can be a really good way of making each gallon of petrol stretch twice as far - and there are other benefits too. For example:
· It's cheaper: fuel, parking and other motoring costs (at least 30 pence per mile!) are cut by half.
· It's more restful: rush-hour driving is now one of life's most stressful experiences.
· It's faster: fewer cars on the road = fewer hold-ups, and easier parking!
· It's more sociable: share journeys with someone you know.
· It's good for the environment: with fewer traffic jams, safer roads, and reduced pollution.
· It's good for you community- it's really easy to do - and it costs virtually nothing.
What the scheme is about
As you know, most parts of Gloucestershire especially rural areas suffer from poor public transport. Thumbs Up! is a new, Gloucestershire-wide Car-Sharing initiative, supported by the Rural Transport Partnership. Its aim is to encourage people to share the use of their cars and thereby reduce traffic, stress and pollution. Thumbs Up! gives incentives and guidance on how to get people involved. We will also help you if there is nobody in your Parish who can organise the scheme.
"Thumbs Up!" is a new, FREE initiative, which makes it easy to car-share- and it's supported by The Rural Transport Partnership (which is attempting to overcome rural transport problems throughout Gloucestershire).
Of course, not everyone can car-share ("I work flexi-time", "My car is a mess!", "I am a bad passenger", "I couldn't share every day") - but many of these problems can easily be overcome. For instance- many people who can't share every day are able to do so once or twice a week. In fact, the main obstacle to car-sharing is our famous British reserve- and an understandable nervousness of strangers. Car-sharing works best when those involved already know each other- at least slightly. "Thumbs Up!" will try to link you up with people you may already know- at least 'by sight': people from your village or community, perhaps or colleagues from work.
"Thumbs Up!" is realistic about the difficulties and will provide help, advice and support - in addition, the first 300 car sharers will get £5 gift vouchers, to use at one of our local shops.
Ask us for details and a registration form.
Graham Stanley or Nadine Smykatz-Kloss, "Thumbs Up!" Tel & Fax: 01453-753252
We look forward to hearing from you!
NB Did you know that breathing problems (such as asthma and bronchitis) are made worse by traffic-related air pollution? Or that Gloucestershire is ninth in the country's 'league table' of asthma 'black spots'? The 'top eight' are all urban areas !
19th October 2000