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Written by Joe Peacock
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Thursday, 14 October 2010 09:27 |
This year's In Town Without My Car Day attracted a big story from an unusual source for environmental campaigns, as Aston Villa came out strongly in support of the initiative:
“Marc Albrighton motors down the wing like a finely-tuned Rolls-Royce but Villa's star midfielder is encouraging supporters to find alternative means of transport. The lively wideman is supporting tomorrow's Birmingham Friends of the Earth 'In Town Without My Car' day. We need all of our fans to consider how they travel to matches, to see if there is anything they can do to help us with our transport objectives and to improve our sustainability. Villa staff will be supporting 'In Town Without My Car' day more fully on Friday, as part of our regular transport day activities. Staff who choose a sustainable means of transport on the day (walk, cycle, public transport, car share) will be entered into a raffle to win a prize.
Panna Amliwala, who helped co-ordinate the event for Birmingham Friends of the Earth, said: "It is fantastic to have Aston Villa support 'In Town Without My Car Day'. Choosing sustainable travel is an important hot button topic and we encourage more organisations to help employees and customers with the options they have, as Aston Villa have done. The staff incentive is a great idea and we hope the supporters can do their bit not only on this day but throughout the season."
Other less positive news is that the runway extension looks to be going ahead and has been much trumpeted in the Birmingham Post's Editorial:
“Good news is at a premium as the West Midlands faces fallout from the gravest economic crisis in recent times, but confirmation that Birmingham International Airport’s runway extension will finally go ahead is certainly reason to celebrate.”
It's a shame that they ignore the statistics which show that airports actually suck money out of regional economies rather than benefiting them!
Confusion also seems to be reigning over the plans for High Speed Rail, with an alternative route being proposed to placate certain villagers, but still no answers to the burning questions over whether this is a sensible use of resources – we are sure it isn't and here's what convenor of the Stop HS2 national campaign group, Joe Rukin, said:
“Tinkering with the route is no use at all, if you move it, some will win and some will lose. We have always believed since the first time we looked into the plans for HS2 that there is no business case, no environmental case and no money to pay for it. We will fight the whole idea all the way.”
It seems that for every positive transport story there are always a couple of bad ones!
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Last Updated on Thursday, 14 October 2010 09:27 |
