An active travel campaign designed to encourage people to leave the car at home has empowered a local Renfrewshire woman to become fitter, happier and healthier.
Paisley resident Susan Anderson joined Renfrewshire Council’s Not Far? Leave the Car campaign in July earlier this year and is now swapping the car for cycling or walking at every opportunity.
Every non-car journey earns her points which can be swapped for discounts at more than 100 Renfrewshire businesses, including cafes, restaurants, hairdressers and supermarkets, or donated to charity.
Susan said: “Since lockdown, I’ve rediscovered my love of cycling and I actually cycled more than I drove last year, covering 3,000 miles by bike.
“The app has really motivated me to use my car less. Instead of travelling by car, I try to cycle or walk to the shops, to meet friends and for appointments. Last year I did 8,000 miles in my car and this year, it’ll be around 2,500 miles instead.”
“I feel happier, fitter and I’m a stone lighter too. It’s second nature now to actively think about cycling rather than using the car for journeys and my pocket is benefiting as I don’t need to buy so much fuel. My monthly fuel bill has gone down from around £200 per month to £65.”
To encourage people to interact, there are weekly challenges and spot prizes available too, so the more people use the free app, the more chance there is of being rewarded.
Susan added: “I really enjoy the mini challenges where you can earn boosted rewards for visiting parks. I go out of my way to walk and cycle those routes to earn maximum points.
One of my favourite aspects of the app is collecting all the medals. When I know I’m very close to earning the next one it pushes me on to go further to earn it.
“It’s a great to get rewards just for getting active and I’d encourage everyone to get involved and ditch the car whenever they can.”
The campaign was introduced by Renfrewshire Council to encourage more active travel, support people to become fitter and healthier, and reduce emissions in line with the area’s Ren Zero campaign.
Councillor Stephen Burns, Depute Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “This is a fantastic campaign that is getting so many people across Renfrewshire more active, and I’d encourage everyone to follow Susan’s lead and get involved.
“It’s free to take part in and you can get discounts from more than 100 local businesses in Renfrewshire just from getting out walking, cycling or using public transport.
“The aim of the campaign is to make people think twice about using the car for short journeys and encourage them to be as active as possible, while also reducing emissions in Renfrewshire from unnecessary car journeys.
“This campaign’s contributing to our Ren Zero campaign as we work towards the ambitious aim of Renfrewshire becoming net zero by 2030 and it’s one way that you can show your support and make a difference locally as we work together to tackle climate change.”
For more information and to download the free app, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/leavethecar