Clean Air Day – Free Park and Ride in Chester on June 20

Cheshire West and Chester Council is again supporting this year’s Clean Air Day on 20 June by providing free Park & Ride travel in Chester.

Clean Air Day organisers ask us all to do our bit to clean up the air around us as we approach the longest day of the year.  The Council’s Park & Ride service uses buses with the latest ‘enviro-clear’ engine technology and using public transport helps reduce private car use.

The Council’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said: “There are lots of simple things we can all do to improve air quality and look after our own and other people’s health.

“Clean Air Day is a chance to find out more about air pollution, share information with friends and colleagues, and help make the air cleaner and healthier for everyone.  So, on 20 June leave the car at home – walk, cycle or take public transport instead.

”If you’re travelling in Chester, Clean Air Day is an ideal opportunity to try the Park & Ride for free if you’ve never given it a go before.”
Park & Ride locations, routes, and timetables can be found on the Council’s website.

Tips that we can all do to help clean up the air around us include:

• Try ways to use the car less.
• If you have children at school, talk to other parents at your child’s school to co-ordinate the school run. Car sharing or a walking bus often reduces traffic at the school gate by 30 per cent – a sure fire way to make the air cleaner for children.The Council’s Road Safety team is also promoting walking to school to cut air pollution outside the borough’s schools.
• With cars, vans and lorries responsible for so much air pollution, low-emission electric vehicles (EVs) are the future – and their costs over a lifetime are cheaper than you might think. So when you upgrade your car, explore an electric, hybrid or Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) model (to save on your road tax too).
• If you have to drive, avoid engine idling.The Council’s Breath of Fresh Air campaign was launched last week.Turning a vehicle’s engine off while stationary protects the health of people in their cars and on the pavement.Find out more on the Council’s website.
• Wood-burning stoves look great and they’re so cosy but burning wood produces a lot of air pollutants. To minimise your contribution to air pollution buy a Defra-approved stove, use authorised fuel, and only light it when you really have to.

Clean Air Day is organised by the national charity, Global Action Plan.  Their website has a wide range of resources and toolkits to help communities, schools and workplaces to improve air quality.

• Clean Air Day website