Bus firms' make environment call to commuters
Two major bus companies in the North East have urged commuters to get back on board as pandemic lockdown restrictions ease.
Go North East and Stagecoach marked Clean Air Day – on June 17 – with reassurance that bus travel is safe, clean and essential to reducing congestion and air pollution.
Stephen King, commercial director at Go North East, said: “Our fleet is already jampacked with high-specification environmentally friendly buses, and we’re doing everything we can to progress and make our fleet even greener.
“Our buses are clean, safe and comfy – embracing public transport is a vital step required to improve air quality and reduce congestion.”
Sharon Vye-Parminter, health, safety and environment director for Stagecoach, said: “We need a mass switch from cars to public transport, particularly buses, if we are to avoid a growing health and climate crisis.
"But there are already worrying signs in our towns and cities that car use is growing rather than falling.
“Technology alone will not solve the challenges we face. We need to make real changes to how we all live our lives and there has never been a better opportunity for government and public transport operators to work together to help people make that switch.”
Following the early success of the electric buses, Go North East is looking to introduce more zero-emission buses in the coming years.
Both firms say public transport has a key role to play in reducing the impact of harmful CO2 levels generated by traffic.
Latest data from the UK Department for Transport shows that, over the last two weekends, car traffic has been above pre-pandemic levels.