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TRAVEL AWARENESS NEWSLETTER: Issue 2

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LEARN TO LET GO

The Scottish Executive's Travel Awareness Campaign "Learn to Let Go" was launched on 18 June 2001 with the following aim:

to increase the number of journeys made by walking, cycling and public transport and to encourage more sensible use of the car.

The first year of the campaign included two TV advertisements, a radio advertisement, billboard posters and bus back advertisements. You can visit our web site at www.learntoletgo.org.uk The web site is the main point of contact for those seeking information about the campaign. It features news, details of the campaign, information about travel options, useful links and specific pages for certain target groups. The site also features online facilities for ordering publications related to the campaign.

If you are organising a travel-related event which you would like us to publicise either on the web site or in the next edition of this newsletter, or if you are a transport operator and want us to include details of new incentives or infrastructure improvements, please e-mail the campaign manager susan.malcolm@scotland.gsi.gov.uk who will do what she can to help.

WHY SHOULD ILEARN TO LET GO?

• Traffic in Scotland is projected to increase by 27% over the next 20 years.
• The car is still used for 15% of all journeys under a mile and 60% of all journeys of 1-2 miles.
• Road transport causes noise and vibrations.
• Road transport gives off carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change.
• Road transport gives off gases which can make soil and water acidic.
• In Scotland 45% of those aged 20-29 drive every day, this figure swells to 61% for those aged 30-39.
• In Scotland, over 50% of households live within 3 minutes' walk of a bus stop - although 20% of householders do not know the frequency of their nearest bus service.

RESEARCH

Prior to the launch of the campaign, the Scottish Executive commissioned research to enable us to establish a national baseline position of public awareness and perceptions of travel awareness. This baseline will enable us to monitor and evaluate the campaign in future years. Some of the key findings of this research in which 71% of those questioned were "car users" while 59% were "car drivers", were:

• Almost half of car drivers "never" use a bus (44%) or a train (43%)
• 33% of working adults said it would be practical for them to travel to work by bus compared with the 12% who actually do travel to work by bus
• 11% say it would be practical for them to travel to work by train, but only 2% do
• 30% of drivers would like to reduce their car use over the next 12 months
• 28% of drivers agree it would be easy for them to do so
• 38% think they could use public transport more than they already do

THE WEB SITE

The Learn to Let Go web site - www.learntoletgo.org.uk - is a useful source of information about the campaign but it also features information about travel options, useful links and specific pages for certain target groups. You can also use the site to order campaign publications and to give feedback on the campaign.

We have been pleasantly surprised by the interest being shown in the web site. Since its inception in June 2001 we have averaged 20,766 hits per month. Our peak was 35,986 hits in June 2002 - obviously the campaign was active at this time.

Our visitors to the site come from far and wide! People from the United States of America are our most frequent visitors, followed by those from the UK, Australia and (would you believe) Qatar!! The range of countries from which we have visitors is vast, and includes Japan, the Czech Republic, Israel, Poland, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Lithuania, Thailand, Indonesia, Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, Chile, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, the Philippines, Mauritius, Brazil, Georgia, Hong Kong and Belarus.

TRAVELWISE

The National Travelwise Association (NTWA) is a network of local authorities and other organisations working together to promote healthy and sustainable transport. NTWA's aims are very similar to those of the Learn to Let Go campaign, they are "to reduce society's dependence on car use by:

• raising awareness of environmental, health, economic and social effects of car use;
• changing attitudes towards car use;
• promoting more sustainable modes of travel, and lifestyles which require less travel;
• encouraging action to change travel behaviour and reduce unnecessary car use".

If your Council or organisation is interested in joining TravelWise you should contact Dave Kinnaird of Fife Council on 01592 413107 or by email, dave.kinnaird@fife.gov.uk . Alternatively, you may wish to find out more by visiting the TravelWise website at www.travelwise.org.uk .