Why now is right for trying Lift-sharing

This summer was a record-breaking one for new Liftshare members, with over 23,000 joining the lift-sharing platform during the two months of July and August.

More people than ever before are giving lift-sharing a go, according to figures from Liftshare. This summer was a record-breaking one for new Liftshare members, with over 23,000 joining the lift-sharing platform across July and August. That’s four times the amount of the same period last year, due to Liftshare’s recent collaboration with Esso.

As a social enterprise, Liftshare (which this year celebrates its Silver Jubilee) offers its journey-matching service completely free to members of the public, predominantly across the UK and Ireland. With the recent spike in members and journeys added, now's an excellent time to find someone going your way.

National Liftshare Week is also coming up soon, 18-24th September, traditionally a time when more people get involved in sharing lifts and taking cars off the road. 

During last year's Liftshare Week, Liftshare saw three times the usual number of sharers, and savings of £393,343, over 1.3 million miles and almost 300 tonnes of CO2, too.

Liftshare community manager Amy Young says “The boost in Liftshare members is thanks to our recent work with Esso, encouraging more people to Liftshare for their commutes and to events this summer. Esso awarded new and existing Liftshare members with bonus Nectar points and promoted the initiative with an advertising campaign. Liftshare turned 25 years old this August and this bumper summer for members has given us further reason to celebrate.”

Amy Young went on to say: “We identified through the Commuter Census that incentives play a key factor in encouraging people to choose a more sustainable mode of transport. People are keen to do their bit for the environment but only if it’s also affordable, and lift-sharing covers both bases.”

All Liftshare members, including new sign-ups, can claim 500 Nectar points on their next purchase at participating Esso service stations, fuel or shop, up until 4th October. 

Liftshare's teamed up with Esso on their Thoughtful Driving Initiative, which provides help on how to fill up with less impact, drive more economically and make one less car journey. As part of the initiative, Esso is helping increase Liftshare’s exposure to get more people sharing.

Amy Young concluded: “This isn’t a one-off campaign, we’ll be working closely with Esso on more projects to raise Liftshare’s profile and bring extra benefits to members. Plus, as part of National Liftshare week 2023, Liftshare is also running a member competition. 

"We’re giving away £100 Love2shop vouchers each for 5 lucky members between 11th to 30th September. To be entered, all they need to do is add or update their Liftshare journey.”

https://liftshare.com/uk

Britain's Busiest Regional Bus Route Goes Greener

Stagecoach has announced today that Britain's busiest regional bus route is to go greener with the introduction of a fleet of 40 hybrid electric vehicles in Manchester.

The 192 route, which carries nearly 10 million passengers a year, connects Manchester city centre with Stockport and Hazel Grove. High-frequency services run up to every 2 minutes at peak times and the Stagecoach route will be served entirely by hybrid electric buses.

The investment follows confirmation from the Department for Transport of several successful bids for part-funding of new low carbon vehicles from its Green Bus Fund.

A fleet of 19 hybrid electric vehicles will also be introduced by Stagecoach on its Sheffield 52 route. It carries around 3 million passengers a year, connecting the densely populated suburbs of Hillsborough, Crookes, Attercliffe, Darnall and Woodhouse.

Stagecoach is investing a total £12.2million in the new greener buses for Manchester and Sheffield, matched by a grant of £4.6million from the Green Bus Fund. The new vehicles are expected to go into service in early 2013.

The Perth-based transport group is already the UK's biggest investor in green hybrid electric buses, which produce 30% less carbon emissions than standard vehicles. The new fleet will increase the number of hybrid buses Stagecoach has in service or on order by more than 40%.

A total of 123 hybrid electric buses are already in operation in Stagecoach's regional bus operations in several English cities: Manchester (50), Oxford (26), Newcastle (26) and Sheffield (21). A further 19 hybrid electric buses will go into service in Stagecoach networks in Scotland this summer.

Les Warneford, MD, Stagecoach UK Bus, said: "This latest multi-million-pound investment will make the busiest bus route in Britain also the greenest. The new buses are great news for bus passengers in Manchester and in Sheffield. They will also support these two cities in the drive to get people out of their cars and improve local air quality.

"Stagecoach is leading the way in investing in buses with this state-of-the-art technology. We are also committed to providing local communities with high-quality, good value bus travel. With sky-high fuel prices and the increasing cost of running a car, it makes more sense than ever to switch to greener, smarter bus travel."

UK-based manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited will supply Stagecoach with 59 of the Enviro 400H double-decker buses, which incorporate regenerative braking technology.

The 192 route in Manchester is part of Greater Manchester's first Statutory Quality Bus Partnership Scheme (SQP). It involves a joint commitment by Stagecoach, Transport for Greater Manchester, Manchester City Council and Stockport Council to take steps to help reduce congestion, improve punctuality and deliver better air quality. The new vehicles will replace existing low emissions vehicles, bringing the number of Stagecoach hybrid electric buses in Manchester to 90.

The Stagecoach 52 service in Sheffield links the main shopping centre, Sheffield University and the Children's Hospital. The route is part of a partnership agreement with South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, Sheffield City Council and First South Yorkshire, which offers integrated ticketing and high frequency services.

Last month. Stagecoach Group announced it is investing around £60million in hundreds of new greener vehicles for local communities across the UK. The Perth-based transport group placed initial orders for 390 buses and coaches for the 2012-13 financial year for its regional bus networks outside London. The 59 new buses brings the orders for 2012-13 to 449 vehicles.

In the last five years, including today's new orders, Stagecoach has invested a total of more than £380m in new buses for its regional bus operations in Scotland, England and Wales.

Earlier this year, independent research again officially recognised Stagecoach as Britain's best value major bus operator. Transport specialists TAS found weekly travel with Stagecoach was on average 17.5% cheaper than other bus operators.

Recent research by Stagecoach also found that travelling by bus instead of commuting by car could save drivers around £150 a month1

For further information about Stagecoach bus services, visit www.stagecoachbus.com

Water-powered buses for Wales

From this June, visitors to the spectacular Brecon Beacons will be able to enjoy using a truly innovative and green mode. Please to welcome Boris and Blodwen - the eco-friendly low-carbon-footprint b-bugs!

The Brecon Beacons, is one of the UK's finest National Parks. Wide-open spaces, and miles and miles of footpaths, make it an ideal location for anyone interested in walking, horse riding, or mountain biking. An ideal destination for a green holiday, in fact!

As we say, there’s another (greener) mode of transport available to anyone who spends a few nights in The Brecon Beacons. The b-bugs are powered by locally sourced electricity, generated by the Talybont-on-Usk micro hydro scheme, powered by Welsh rain.

Best of all, from June until October, the b-bugs can be delivered to your accommodation and used on Brecon Beacons’ highways and byways by anyone in possession of a fully comprehensive car insurance policy.

One of 4 winners at the Green Dragons’ Den Sustainable Development Challenge which ran at the 2010 Hay Festival, the project was awarded £10,000 by the Welsh Assembly Government in order to design and build the two trial buggies.

Just imagine… waking up in a self-catering cottage in some of the wildest, most remote countryside in Britain, and then going to collect your newspaper in an electric vehicle capable of a top speed of 30mph?

Or driving through the country lanes and market towns of The Brecon Beacons before plugging in for a quick re-charge at one of the friendly b-bug charge points whilst you enjoy a pub lunch, shopping or a walk.

It's as easy as driving a go-kart. There are only two pedals to bother with, accelerator and brake – it takes just a couple of minutes of instructions, and then five minutes of driving along the quiet Brecon Beacons’ roads to “catch the bug”.

Full details can be found at www.b-bug.com.