Doubling bus and coach transport through effective business and public policy incentives is the Smart Move to significantly cut CO2 emissions while achieving sustainable mobility.
“Taking the bus or travelling by coach is among the simplest, quickest and cheapest ways for individuals to contribute to CO2 reduction”, said Graham Smith, Vice President of the International Road Transport Union (IRU) in Copenhagen this week.
Buses and coaches are the largest collective transport mode worldwide. Thanks to their flexibility, buses and coaches, together with taxis, offer a sustainable alternative to private car use while maintaining a high level of flexibility.
“It should be widely known that buses and coaches are the environmental champions among all modes of motorised passenger transport”, continued Mr Smith. “In my country, the UK, coaches emit 0.03 kg of CO2 per passenger-kilometre. This is half of the CO2 emissions of the second best performer – trains. A 400 km passenger journey from London to Blackpool will emit 11 kg of CO2 if done by coach, 23 to 25 kg if done by train, 44 kg if done by car and 68kg if done by air.”
Doubling the use of buses and coaches is therefore the smartest way of achieving sustainable mobility for all. Such an increase, in Europe alone would save 50 million tonnes of CO2 per year – a reduction of 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per second.
