Pledge scheme launched to cut down on Warwick traffic

Warwickshire County Council is urging residents to make a change to their daily routines to cut down on worsening congestion in the town centre.

Calls for drivers to “pledge” to make a difference by either car sharing, walking, or using public transport hopes to improve health and environmental impact.

But if taken up by road users, it could have a drastic impact on the town’s traffic system and congestion.

A report last year revealed that of all the drivers commuting in to Warwick, 52 percent live within 5km of their destination.

And that one in four drivers live within just 2km of their destination in the town.

Urging people to walk, cycle, get on a bus or car share such short distances, Cllr Peter Butlin, portfolio holder for transport said: “We hope people will take the challenge and make their everyday journeys such as their commute to work better for themselves and for the environment.”

The pledge scheme is being pushed across the whole county, but traffic in Warwick town centre has bene the centre of calls for change for many years.

The council has set an Air Quality Action Plan to cut down on fumes and congestion poisons around the area in what Cllr John Holland said must now be implemented.

The Labour town and county councillor said: “We have been working on an action plan for air quality and this is the time when we need to take action.

“There is no point having this if it is not going to be used and to benefit our towns. Traffic is getting worse and measures need to be put in place to address this.”

For information on pledges, visit the Facebook page.

Warwickshire’s car-share scheme run by Liftshare can be found online at liftshare.com.