Sustainable Travel

Sustainable transport (or green transport) refers to any means of transport with a low impact on the environment, and includes: walking and cycling, car sharing, green vehicles and building or protecting urban transport systems that are fuel-efficient, space-saving and promote healthy lifestyles.
 

Walking

It’s free, easy and takes little planning. Organising an appropriate route and checking the weather forecast help.

As well as being a practical and cost-effective means of transport, walking is a fantastic form of exercise. Get the walking habit and you'll reap health rewards now and in the future.

  • Get in shape -  to lose weight you need to burn more calories than they eat. Walking  helps burn up those calories. A 60kg (about nine and a half stone) person walking at 3mph burns about 99 calories per half hour. Brisk walking at 4mph burns about 150 calories in the same time.
  • Feel happier - getting enough exercise reduces depression and anxiety, promotes psychological well-being and reduces stress.


Health Walks

Walking improves  our general health and well being. It is recommended that to maintain good health we all need to walk 10,000 steps a day. One easy way to achieve this is to start walking more regularly.

This can be done by joining one of our Health Walks which run  from a variety of locations in Test Valley.

 

Cycling

Whether you use a bike for fun or to get to school or work, cycling is a good means of getting around. It is fast, environmentally friendly, and can help you keep fit. - https://bikeability.org.uk/cycle-more/family-cycling/

Before you start, there are some basic things you need to do to ensure that you and your bike are ready for the road:

  • Make sure your bike is in good condition. You can take your bike for a check-up at your local cycle shop
  • make sure your bike is the right height and weight for you
  • make sure your bike is suitable for your purposes - a town bike, for example, will be no good for off-road riding
  • ensure you have helmet, lights and visible clothing especially if you are cycling on roads
  • make sure there is a place to carry bags if you need them
  • cycling can be quite a vigorous activity, so it is important that you are physically prepared. Do some simple warm-up exercises before setting off

For more information visit the Cycling and Walking page on our website Cycling & Walking | Test Valley Borough Council


Salary Sacrifice Scheme

Cyclescheme is the UK's number one provider of tax-free bikes for the Government's Cycle to Work initiative. It's a brilliant programme where everyone wins - employees make big savings on new bikes, employers get a healthier workforce and save money too! Cyclescheme has a great track record in helping employers of all sizes to set up and run successful Cycle to Work schemes. They have a vast supplier network of over 1,400 independent bike shops.


Green vehicles

Green Vehicles (e.g. running on bio fuels, chargeable electricity, solar power) have much less impact on the environment. The network of electric vehicle charging points is expanding over time. 

Charging points in Test Valley include can be found at:

https://testvalley.gov.uk/transportparkingandstreets/car-parks/electric-vehicle-charging


To find out about charging points outside the borough please visit ZapMap Charging points and electric vehicles UK 2021 - Zap Map (zap-map.com)