Sustainable Vehicle Use

Call it what you like – car sharing, lift sharing, carpooling – it’s a great way to save money, reduce congestion, relax from the stresses of driving and perhaps get to know your neighbours better. You can share a car getting to work, doing the weekly shop, taking the children to school, going to the match at the weekend, travelling to a festival, event or show, getting to and from university or visiting friends.

Did you know? Car sharing could save you up to £3,000 a year, not to mention reducing your CO₂ emissions by 1.6 tonnes.

Key Links

All you need to do to find someone to share with is log on to Cornwall Council’s car sharing website at Carshare Cornwall, register your journey, and review your potential matches. You don’t even have to have a car of your own, as long as you’re happy to share fuel costs with the driver.

Alternatively, for longer journeys or on-off journeys, check out BlaBlaCar where you can register your journey and sell the empty seats in your car for a price you choose. You can also search for other people going your way, buy a seat in their car and travel together! BlaBlaCar monitors users profiles and also includes a rating so you can be sure of who you’re meeting up with. All journeys are also covered by AXA insurance, free of charge.

Sometimes using a car is unavoidable and if you want more miles per gallon, eco-driving is an easy practical means of visiting the fuel pumps less. Eco-driving uses some simple techniques that will improve your driving and reduce your fuel consumption saving you money and reducing your CO₂ emissions.

So, if you want to go further on a tank of fuel, just follow these easy tips:

• Remove heavy items from the boot or the roof rack when not needed.
• Check your tyre pressures regularly – under inflated tyres are a safety risk and waste fuel.
• Anticipate traffic flow – this way you can slow down by gently by lifting off the accelerator instead of being forced to brake heavily.
• Maintain a steady speed and shift to a higher gear early.

Electric Vehicles

Living in Cornwall, we know that there are some times when car travel will be necessary so here at Treledan, we are doing all we can to help make those car journeys as green as possible. As you might be aware, the UK Government has banned the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035, which means if you’re in the market for a new car, it's a great time to consider buying an electric vehicle or EV.

We know that some of you may already have your own at-home car charging station which couldn’t be more convenient. However, there are plenty of EV charging facilities in your local area which make owning and running and EV a breeze, even if you don’t have a charger at home.

Your closest EV charging points are at the Shell Garage next to Carkeel Roundabout, just a 2-minute drive from Treledan. There are 8 charging stations with a mix of 50kW and 150kW chargers to suit your needs. Details of the locations of other charging points, locally and across the UK, along with their live availability can be found on Zap-Map.

More Information

For more information on benefits and saving effects of Eco-Driving, check out Cornwall Council's electric vehicle charging page.

Maybe you prefer to have the wind in your hair when you’re travelling. If so, a motorcycle or scooter may be the ideal alternative to using a car.

Motorcycling is a more sustainable option to travelling by car as it helps to reduce congestion and wear and tear upon the road surface. As well as being more fuel efficient and having fewer emissions, travelling by motorcycle or scooter will allow you to nip through the traffic queues, saving you time on your journey and getting you to work or back home more quickly. Motorcycling also take the stress out of finding a parking space!

More Information

For important information regarding staying safe on your bike, you can attend a BikeSafe workshop organised by Devon and Cornwall Police. For more information, and to make a booking, check out bikesafe.co.uk.

Why not use the regular bus service that links your home to the town centre? It’s usually a low floor service with a ramped access and wheelchair space inside, along with a helpful driver to provide assistance.

National Concession Bus Passes are also available and entitle you to free travel anytime within Cornwall. You may also travel outside of Cornwall between 09:30 and 23:00 Monday to Friday, and at any time on weekends and bank holidays. To apply, just get in touch with Cornwall Council.

If the bus doesn’t suit your travel needs, there are many community transport services available to use, including:

• Voluntary Car Schemes run by volunteers driving their own car;
• Community bus services, providing regular routes that follow a set timetable;
• Dial-a-Ride door-to-door service;
• Shopmobility, which offers mobility hire in towns or city centres;

Find out more. For more information on any of the above, visit the Cornwall Council's community transport page.

If you have communication difficulties, the First Safe Journey Card gives you the chance to tell the driver what extra help you may need such as needing more time to reach your seat etc. Alternatively, there is the Better Journey Card which helps with letting the driver know you may need additional help. This card includes pre-written messages, such as ‘Please face me and speak clearly, I lip-read.’ Alternatively, there are blank spaces to include your own personal messages.

More Information

visitcornwall.com has lots of information about travelling around Cornwall, and advice for those with disabilities. Furthermore, firstgroup.com provides advice and guidance for those with disabilities, including how to download the Safe Journey car or the Better Journey card, and gov.uk has advice for disabled travellers for using all modes of transport.