Celebrate Clean Air Day with a free trip on the tram
EARLY-MORNING and latenight commuters will get free tram travel as part of Clean Air Day.
Anyone catching the Metrolink before 7am or after 7pm on Thursday, June 21, will be able to hop aboard without buying a ticket.
The initiative is part of national Clean Air Day and encourages people to change their travel habits to improve air quality.
Transport bosses are also urging employers to consider flexible start and end times for their staff so they can take advantage of the free travel offer.
Other pledges people could make include leaving their car at home just one day a week, car-sharing when possible, working from home regularly or walking and cycling more.
Danny Vaughan, Transport for Greater Manchester’s head of Metrolink, said: “Our trams are zero-emission at street level and are powered by electricity produced from modern, cleaner and greener sources such as wind-power.
“While services can get busy during peak times, this free travel offer is aimed at encouraging people to think about changing travel habits.
“Choosing to travel outside peak hours, when trams are less busy, can help reduce the peaks in air pollution caused by commuter car journeys, one of the main sources of air pollution.”
Road transport is largely responsible for some of the most dangerous air pollutants in Greater Manchester, including nitrogen dioxide and particulates, TfGM said. Vehicle exhausts can produce harmful gases and tiny particles of soot and other matter that cause health problems and harm our environment.