Travel
Across the UK, transport accounts for 24% of our carbon emissions, and in Doncaster alone makes up 40% of our emissions.
As individuals, we cannot tackle all of these emissions directly, but we can reduce our own emissions from transport. For example, short car journeys, those less than two miles, account for half of the car journeys we make each day. Choosing to walk or cycle where possible can easily reduce your emissions and it helps you to keep active.
Ever wondered what the carbon footprint of your travel is?
This handy calculator allows you to compare the environmental impact of any journey by train, car and airplane. Simply input your start and end destination, or enter the number of miles you travel, and the calculator will give you carbon emissions values for completing that journey by train, car or plane.
Active Travel
Active travel is a great way to get around whilst minimising your carbon footprint, reducing travel costs and improving your health through exercise. There are a number of ways in which you can active travel such as:
- Walking
- Jogging/Running
- Cycling
Across Doncaster, there are several initiatives in place to help individuals embark on their active travel journey.
Doncaster Active Travel Hub
Doncaster Active Travel Hub is helping more residents travel to work on foot or by cycling. They offer free bicycle loans, advice on routes how to keep your bike working and safe, and the hub offers a range of other services to make cycling and walking your best option. The Active Travel Hub will also visit businesses and organisations across Doncaster to support cleaner and greener travel choices.
The Active Travel Hub, based at Doncaster Rail Station offers the following services:
- FREE bike and e-bike loans
- secure cycle parking
- personalised route planning
- led walks and rides
- bike repairs
- bike maintenance classes
Pedal Ready
Pedal ready offer free adult and family cycle training. It is open to anyone who would like to learn how to ride a bike, from beginners to refreshers, Pedal Ready can help you:
- Learn how to ride a bike
- Improve your skills to cycle safely on the road
- Get advice about the best routes to cycle to your work/school
- Practice your riding ability in a safe environment
Pedal Ready operate at several venues across Doncaster. Visit their venues page to find a venue near you. To find out the dates and times of sessions check out their timetable page.
Cycle to Work Scheme
The Cycle to Work scheme allows employees to access bikes and cycling accessories such as helmets and lights at a reduced price. Your employer purchases your bike and you hire it from them via a salary sacrifice. At the end of the ‘hire’ period, you are usually offered the option to buy the bike from your employer. Not all employers offer this scheme so check with your HR contact to see if they are enrolled.
For more information, Sustrans have produced a handy guide that explains the cycle to work scheme in more detail.
Cycle Parking
If your organisation does not have adequate cycle parking facilities then Doncaster Council can assist by providing toast racks so that employees have a safe space to lock their bikes while at work.
If you need help attaining cycle parking please contact Transportationunit@doncaster.gov.uk for advice and support.
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Cycle Maintenance and Bike Repairs
If you’re already cycling to work and need some help maintaining your bike, then Dr Bike can help. Dr Bike offers free service and safety check for bikes at workplaces in Doncaster. Carried out by a fully trained mechanic, drop-in sessions include a full cycle safety check and advice, free minor on-the-spot repairs or referral to the nearest bike shop where needed.
As part of the service, Dr Bike will tune gears and brakes, ensure chains are clean and lubricated, inflate tyres, repair punctures and replace unsafe parts.
If you would like Dr Bike to make a visit to your workplace, please contact chris@bicyclebuddy.co.uk 07585 904818.
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Public transport
If you’re not able to, or do not want to, walk or cycle then public transport is the next best thing you can do to your carbon footprint. Doncaster is served with a robust bus network which allows you to move around the city with ease. In addition to walking to bus stops, Doncaster also has several Park & Rides which allow you to park up out of town and hop on the bus. For more information, and journey planning, visit the Travel South Yorkshire website.
If you’re looking to travel slightly further afield, Doncaster Train Station is a great place to start. We are located on one of the main railway lines in the UK, which allows easy travel between many places across the UK. For more information, visit the LNER website.
Driving
Finally, if you can’t give up the convenience of driving fear not, there are still things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.
Tyres: Ensuring that your tyres are correctly inflated can increase fuel efficiency by up to 3%[3].
Driving Style: Changing your driving style can help too. Keeping to speed limits and driving smoother will reduce your fuel consumption and even allow tyre and brakes to last longer.
Route Planning: Planning your route can help use less fuel by giving you the shortest route. Some apps even allow you to choose a ‘most economical’ option. Google and Apple Maps are great places to start.
Car Sharing: Sharing a car can half your emissions by spreading them over more people. Offering to car share with colleagues/friends not only reduces your emissions, but makes travel cheaper!
Electric Cars: If you’re serious about reducing your carbon footprint but can’t give up driving, consider moving to an electric vehicle (EV). These new cars can be expensive but they do offer benefits over traditional, fossil fuel powered, cars. The Energy Saving Trust have an excellent guide to get you started.
Electric Vehicles in Doncaster
If you already drive an EV and you’re looking for information about charging infrastructure across Doncaster, look no further.
Doncaster Council, along with many private companies, have invested vast sums of money into improving EV charging infrastructure in Doncaster. This makes it easy for you to charge your car when you visit or helps you keep topped up if you live and work in Doncaster.
EV charging is a rapidly changing landscape in Doncaster so check back regularly for updates. Doncaster Council have installed EV chargers in several of our car parks. Check our pages relating to car parking for more information about which car parks have chargers.
Alternatively, ZapMap provides real-time maps showing our charge points, along with privately operated charge points.
Note: Some chargers use QR codes to link to payment services or apps. Please be wary that these QR codes can be tampered with. If a sticker has been placed over the original QR code, be cautious and remember cyber security best practices. You can learn more about Cyber Security on the National Cyber Security Centre website.