Glasgow revealed as most environmentally conscious region in Scotland

People in Glasgow have been revealed to have the biggest environmental conscience in Scotland in a survey about the nation’s travel behaviours.

The survey, commissioned by First Bus, reveals that Glaswegians are the most likely to feel guilty for using their cars if they know they could take the bus for the same journey (14%) – more than twice as much as the national average (6%).

Only one quarter (24%) of people in the city report that they don’t feel guilty for using their car over the bus, while the national average is considerably higher (37%). But while the city’s residents are more likely to consider the environmental impact of their journeys, one third (33%) still prefer to use their cars over public transport.

The research has been carried out for First Bus by YouGov to provide a snapshot into the nation’s travel habits as the transport operator launches its campaign this month to encourage Scots to ‘be a little more CarFree’.

According to the survey, more than one in 10 (13%) people in Glasgow are making a conscious effort to reduce their car travel to look after the environment. But while many are cutting down on the car use to be green, a greater number (17%) are reducing their car travel to try to save money on fuel.

Duncan Cameron, Managing Director of First Glasgow, said: “It’s fantastic to see that the people of Glasgow are taking the environment into consideration when it comes to their transport choices – but whatever the motivation, we’re pleased to see that so many in the city are recognising how beneficial bus can be. Their choice to opt for bus will be going a great way in improving our city’s air quality – especially with the ongoing roll-out of our zero-emission, fully electric buses.

“I would encourage anyone who currently uses only car, or car for the majority of their journeys, to consider taking the bus instead for their next journey. From saving money, reducing stress and benefitting the environment, there are so many benefits – not just for ourselves, but for the city of Glasgow. If we each made small, conscious decisions to leave the car behind a little more, together we could transform our city’s congestion, air and noise pollution.”

The modal shift campaign supports First Bus Scotland’s efforts to provide environmentally conscious, cost-effective travel across Scotland. Through the campaign, First Bus is looking to encourage car users to tackle common pain points associated with car travel including pollution and excessive expenditure.

A TV ad featuring some recognisable Scottish faces discussing their guilty habits and biggest driving pet peeves in a ‘Car User Support Group’ launched this month to support the campaign.

Duncan Cameron added: “With our recent launch of Tap On Tap Off travel in Glasgow, there’s never been a better time to make bus travel part of your everyday routine.”

First Glasgow launched Tap On Tap Off (TOTO) travel in April across its fleet, guaranteeing customers ultimate flexibility on the fare paid. TOTO analyses a customer’s travel movements and then calculates the lowest fare for the journey they have made. The system allows the customer to have peace of mind that they will always receive the cheapest Day or Week fare for the travel they have completed.

To access TOTO, a person uses their contactless card or mobile device at the ticket machine next to the driver to tap on. At the end of their journey, they simply ‘tap off’ on the new card reader device, which has been installed in order for the journey to be accurately recorded.

More information can be found at firstbus.co.uk/carfree