25th Jun 2008 07:00
STAGECOACH GROUP
25 June 2008
ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH CONCERNS DRIVE SWITCH FROM CAR TO PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Stagecoach research reveals 10% change in travel habits in three years
Nearly a third switch transport mode for health or environmental reasons
Buses see biggest increase in growing trend of more intelligent car use
One in three consumers prepared to pay more for greener public transport
Consumer concerns about the environment and health are helping drive a shift from car travel to greener public transport, according to new research.
More than 10% of people surveyed by Stagecoach Group have changed their mode of transport in the last three years as public concern about climate change continues to grow in the UK.
Stagecoach found that of those who had previously used the car, 36% had switched to the bus, 30% now walked and 5% change to travel by train.
The study of more than 4,000 consumers reveals that 12% of respondents had changed mode as a result of environmental considerations, while 20% cited health reasons.
Some 47% of respondents said they were using their car less, with 36% stating an increased use of buses and 19% more use of trains.
Research also found that:
62% were more likely to travel with a company whose ethics supported the environment
32% would be prepared to pay more for public transport that is environmentally sustainable
8% said they would switch from the car to the bus if it was fuelled by biodiesel
Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, said: "These results confirm that environmental concerns are increasingly driving customer behaviour and a growing number of people are now making more intelligent use of the car.
"With increasing car congestion and high fuel prices, we are starting to see a fundamental shift towards public transport. We believe there is significant opportunity to attract more people to greener smarter travel to help them reduce their carbon footprint and tackle the challenge of climate change."
The survey results are revealed as Stagecoach continues a major drive to make its own business more sustainable and attract more people to travel by bus, coach, train and tram.
The Group's wide-ranging strategy includes investment in renewable fuels and cleaner engines, state-of-the-art energy efficient facilities, water and waste recycling initiatives and offering businesses green travel incentives for their employees.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
The Stagecoach research involved a telephone survey of 4,140 adults in the Cambridge, Peterborough, Stevenage, Exeter, Dorchester, Bournemouth, Salisbury, Southampton, Portsmouth, and Guildford postcode areas in April 2008. Among the sample, 49% said they currently travel by car, 19% take the bus, 15% walk, 7% car share, 5% cycle, 2% use the train and 1% go by motorbike, while 2% did not specify a mode.
Current Stagecoach environmental initiatives include:
Renewable energy
Stagecoach has signed a contract to source most of its electricity requirement for its UK bus operations from renewables. Electricity generated from mostly small-scale hydro, as well as on-shore wind and biomass, will provide more than 70% of the company's required supply, with the remainder coming from cleaner, low-carbon sources. Smart meters are also being installed to help cut energy use as part of the £3.5million contract with Opus Energy. The two-year contract, which will dramatically decrease CO2 emissions, covers electricity supply to around 240 UK sites.
Energy efficiency
Emissions from around 90 of Stagecoach's workplaces across the UK have been cut by more than a third after the introduction of a hi-tech energy management system. Gas consumption has been slashed by an average of 36%, while CO2 emissions have been cut by more than 6,200 tonnes a year. Developed by Vickers Electronics Ltd, the technology uses self-learning predictive programming, coupled with high accuracy temperature sensing. It takes over the control of the existing heating and delivers improved control, staff comfort and dramatic reductions in energy consumption, saving hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
Sustainable biofuel
Stagecoach is testing the UK's first Bio-buses, which run on 100% biodiesel. The bio-fuel is manufactured by Argent Energy Ltd from used cooking oil and other food industry by-products, which are from sustainable sources that do not involve the destruction of natural habitats or compete with the human food chain. The environmental project also allows customers to exchange used cooking oil for discounted bus travel Since the initiative was launched in October 2007, it has cut C02 emissions from the buses by 80%, saving 550 tonnes of carbon, and more than 21 tonnes of used cooking oil has been recycled.
Fuel additive
Stagecoach uses a next-generation fuel additive, Envirox™, to reduce carbon emissions and improve fuel efficiency. The additive, manufacted by Oxonica, is based on a well-known oxidation catalyst widely used in catalytic converters. The material has been re-engineered using nanotechnology to allow it to be delivered as a fuel-borne catalyst, leading to a cleaner burn within the combustion chamber. The additive has delivered more than a 5% cut in fuel consumption and an associated decrease in vehicle emissions. Stagecoach also currently uses a blend of 5% biodiesel across its 7,000-vehicle UK bus fleet.
Carbon neutral travel
Stagecoach has launched Scotland's first carbon neutral bus network. The ground-breaking environmental initiative, in partnership Scottish charity Global Trees, will see all of Stagecoach's Fife to Edinburgh bus network become carbon neutral for the next five years. Around 140,000 trees will be planted in the south of Scotland this year, saving 21,500 tonnes in CO2 emissions.
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