Me and My Car

Transport group volunteer Jane considers her options, and ponders how travel has changed during the pandemic.

This time last year, everybody used their car for lots of different reasons.

Since Covid 19 restrictions started, car journeys have dramatically reduced. Far more people are working from home, schools have had limited admissions and the need to travel has temporarily been reduced.

The pandemic has delivered some unforeseen environmental benefits: cleaner air, lower carbon emissions and a respite for wildlife.

Can you hear more birdsong? This is probably because the decrease in noise pollution (cars and planes) means that birds don’t have to compete to be heard.

Is the air a bit cleaner/fresher?

Car usage is at the levels of the 1950s and emission levels down to the 1900s.

It would be nice to think that we could retain some of these benefits by using cars less.

It has been great to see families all out together walking or riding bicycles. Overton is being explored in more detail and people are seeing how incredibly beautiful and diverse the countryside is, right on our doorstep.

If you are enjoying these new benefits, maybe it’s the perfect time to leave the car behind more. Swap a quick trip in the car for an adventure in the countryside or a breath of fresh air on the way to buy the newspaper.

In the future, public transport could take you into town or further afield. Or, once it’s safe again, sharing a journey with a friend or colleague could mean cutting that usage in half.

This is an opportunity for all of us to help reduce the impact of transport on Overton and beyond.

Sources (please click on the title):

The Guardian article on clean air

BBC article on life under lockdown

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