Is it time to cut down on cars and embrace clean alternatives?
Shocking figures reveal that transport emissions are largely unchanged from those of 1990, and the reason for this is the huge rise in car and van numbers, together with our aspirations to own large, eco-unfriendly SUVs.
WHEN we think about how we can reduce our carbon footprint, often the first thing we think about is our mode of transport.
Pre-Covid, a car was something many of us would use every day, whether getting to work, school, college or to see friends and family. And unless you live within close proximity it is very easy to jump in a car rather than considering the alternatives.
So it is unsurprising that transport is now the largest source of carbon emissions in the UK – accounting for a total of 28 per cent, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
And despite improvements made to fuel efficiency and the rise in electric vehicles, UK transport emissions are basically unchanged since 1990 – with just a three per cent decrease.
One reason for this is car and van numbers rise every year and have done for the last 50 years.
In 1970 there were 15 million vehicles registered in the UK, that figure is now 40 million – or a 160 per cent rise but the UK population has only risen by 20 per cent in the same period.
Within this growth in car ownership significantly more people are buying heavier, more polluting vehicles (SUVs) instead of ‘normal’ sized cars – with SUV sales making up six per cent of sales in 1990 to 25 per cent now.
It is also true that aviation emissions have doubled since 1990, making flights the second largest source of UK transport emissions now.
But while the rise in transport emission in the UK must be considered - how does this compare in Portsmouth?
Statistics from the council show road transport makes up 37 per cent of the city’s carbon emissions - a figure that has not changed in a decade.
And although Portsmouth is relatively small and flat, 60 per cent of car journeys made in the city are for trips under two miles.
So as part of the
Portsmouth Climate Action Board’s drive to tackle the climate emergency, transport is one of the key areas for change.
Board member Nick
Sebley said: ‘It is shocking that in 2021, emissions from transport are basically at the same level as in 1990.
‘The government details the main causes itself: the number of vehicles on the road rises every year, and the market share of SUVs has risen from six per cent to 25 per cent.
‘Locally we have seen the impact of these trends: more stress over parking, toxic air quality, and growing congestion at rush hour. The evidence is clear: we need to make it safe to cycle, pleasant to walk, cheap to catch a bus, and discourage driving for non-essential journeys: then we will see emissions fall.’
Car emissions don’t just affect the climate crisis, they can lead to health problems - with poor air quality reported to cause 95 deaths in Portsmouth every year.
Ian McCulloch, a
Green Party activist from Portsmouth, said: ‘Poor air quality is shortening people’s lives in Portsmouth and there’s data to support that.
‘The data also shows us that broken down by wards, it is the poorer areas that are always the worst affected.
‘It’s great to reduce emissions from cars and see more electric vehicles used but I think people are starting to realise that there are just too many cars on the road - which is made clear when people can never find anywhere to park.
‘We need to encourage active transport as much as possible - whether walking, cycling or something else and this will also help with the obesity problem we have. The issue at the moment is people don’t feel completely safe cycling in the city.’
But with the number of vehicles registered in the city rising from 9,000 in 2009 to 103,000 in 2018 there are no signs that people are willing to give up their cars.
Not only this but Portsmouth suffers from congestion at peak times, with vehicles travelling on average 32 per cent more slowly than the national average.
And Portsmouth City Council held data showed (pre-Covid) 40,000 people commute in, and 30,000 commute out of Portsmouth every day.
Some schemes to cut car use and provide alternatives have been trialled or at l east considered by Portsmouth City Council.
These include the installation of electric vehicle charging points in residential streets and an electric scooter rental scheme, which launches today.
By the end of this year the south west of the city will also be subject to a clean air zone that has been imposed by government and will charge buses, coaches, lorries, vans and taxis of a certain age up to £10 a day to enter.
And with the government’s announcement of a £3bn plan to make buses easier and cheaper to use nationwide this could be something that makes a difference to our travel habits in the city.
It’s very easy to say we will reduce our car use but what are the alternatives and how feasible are they for our day-to-day lives?
Many have campaigned for greater use of bikes around the city, with the Pompey
Cycle Forum at the forefront of such discussions.
However, 75 per cent of local cycle routes fall below Department for Transport criteria and the Pompey Cycle Forum have previously argued that one of the key issue is a lack of fully-segregated, continuous cycle routes.
Forum member, Jon Riding, said: ‘Cycling has the potential to solve many of the problems suffered by our city at the moment. Pollution, traffic congestion and obesity can all be tackled by getting more people on bikes.
‘Portsmouth is unusually well suited to cycling. It is a flat, compact and temperate city where virtually any journey can be made by bike in just a few minutes. However, many people in ‘Portsmouth are reluctant to make the choice to cycle due to concerns about the safety, security and convenience of cycling.
‘What is needed is a network of safe, direct cycle routes around the whole city which take people to where they want to go with secure cycle storage at the destination. Build that and you will be amazed at what will happen. You only have to look at London to see what it can do.’
For some lockdown has shown that they might not need their car at all times but for those who don’t want to be without one for good there is the option of joining a car club.
So far two car clubs have been set up in Portsmouth, in Fratton and Southsea, by rental company Enterprise.
Rental cars are kept in set locations – in Rodney Road and the Wimbledon Park Sports Centre, in Taswell
Road - for members to collect after booking a slot.
Those who sign up to the system can book a time slot to use the car for as little as half an hour. Their phone, bank card or membership card then unlocks the car from outside with the keys accessible from inside the car.
The cars are disinfected between slots and members can use any Enterprise cars at locations across the country.
Currently the cars provided by Enterprise are hybrid models, however, there is scope for electric cars to be used in the future.
The Wimbledon Park Patch community group lobbied for one in their area as a way to reduce car ownership and relieve parking pressures.
Group co-ordinator Clare Seek said: ‘There’s definitely a benefit to using the car club.
‘Some people have used it as a way to get rid of their second car, especially since lots of people are now working from home. But for others it means they don’t need to run their own car at all anymore. If you’re only using your car once a week or once a fortnight the car club works really well.
‘It encourages you to walk or cycle for short journeys which helps the environment but it also saves you money because you only pay when you use the car. You no longer need to worry about insurance, tax and car maintenance which are all costly.’
City residents can currently join the club for £10 a year by using the code Portsmouth10 via the Enterprise website, which provides £10 of credit to drive. But however we decide to change our own transport habits - given that the amount of traffic is predicted to increase by roughly 20 per cent in the next decade - it is clear change in whatever form is needed.
Poor air quality is shortening people’s lives in Portsmouth and there’s data to support that
Ian McCulloch