Sustainable Travel

Transport contributes around one quarter of all carbon dioxide generated annually in the UK. Of the 132 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from transport in 2007, around three-fifths came from cars. The carbon dioxide coming from transport is also not reducing – it is growing rapidly so considering changing to public transport is now more important than ever and the impact of your change is growing day on day.

The result of this is that personal car travel was the single biggest contributor to personal carbon footprints. A very simple change, such as reducing car usage by 5 miles per week could save nearly 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

We’re tackling our environmental impacts on a number of fronts so if you make the change and use a Lothian Bus you can be sure that as well as the carbon dioxide saved by leaving your car at home we’re also:

• Recycling over 90% of all the waste left on the buses and in our business
• Encouraging and facilitating our staff to travel to and from work more sustainably
• Providing a fleet of modern buses with excellent emissions standards
• Investing in technology to bring our older buses up to and beyond the emissions standards of a new bus
• Planning future initiatives to make sure we reduce our environmental impact as much as possible

Together our changes plus your change mean the maximum possible environmental benefit.

A Better Way to Work

Lothian Buses is a partner in the “A Better Way To Work” project. This project which is funded by the Climate Challenge Fund aims to attract employees of Small and Medium Sized Businesses to travel to and from work more sustainably. Through the project employees are assessed to see whether they could use bus, train, car sharing, cycling or walking as an alternative to their current mode of transport. Incentives to change are then given (e.g. bus pass, cycle loan) so the employee can try the alternative travel type.

For further information please visit the ‘A Better Way To Work’ website at http://www.findabetterwaytowork.org or telephone Gary Bell at The Bike Station on 0131 668 1996

As well as being a partner in the scheme Lothian Buses staff are also benefitting through regular cycle workshops which take place in our three main depots. At the cycle workshops our staff can try new bicycles, learn about cycle routes and safe cycling as well as having their own bikes serviced by experienced mechanics. These clinics along with improved cycle facilities mean that more of our staff are now cycling to work reducing the environmental impact of their journey to work.