A leading city councillor is today (September 22) meeting the challenge of In Town Without My Car Day in a unconventional way.
Cllr Paul Tilsley, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, is playing his part – by using an electric powered car.
The annual one-day event, led by Friends of the Earth, is designed to get people using more sustainable forms of transport as a way of addressing the issue of climate change.
Cllr Tilsley, the council’s sustainability champion, has a busy schedule of meetings across the city on the day, and due to the way his schedule has panned out a car is the only feasible way for him to get from A to B, making an electric vehicle the best way for him to get involved with the initiative.
He will be using a Mitsubishi i-MiEV, just like the ones being used as part of the CABLED project, a fact-finding trial across Birmingham and Coventry to learn more about how such vehicles can be used on a widespread basis in the future.
Cllr Tilsley said: “I fully support the aim of making the way we travel greener – as his was one of the driving forces behind the council’s production of the Birmingham Declaration on Climate Change last year.
“I’m unable to avoid the use of a car on the day but am keen to do my bit and would urge everyone within our workforce and the city as a whole to play a part too in any way they can.
“They may not have access to an electric vehicle, but if they can use public transport, bicycles or their feet, I would urge them to do so.”
Cllr Tilsley also played his part by not be using his car to travel to the Liberal Democrat Conference in Liverpool, which he attended from Saturday to Tuesday (September 18-21) – and while there he walked between conference venues.
He added: “Cars will always be one of the pre-eminent forms of transport in a developed country such as the UK, so the sooner we embrace greener vehicles or other modes of transport, the better for everyone.
“The benefits are not only environmental, they are economic because we have a fantastic opportunity to be at the cutting edge of a growing industry if we position ourselves at the forefront of the low carbon revolution.”
Other cabinet members to offer support for In Town Without My Car Day include Cllr Randal Brew (Cabinet Member for Finance), Cllr Martin Mullaney (Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport and Culture and Cllr Sue Anderson (Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities).
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. The Birmingham Declaration is a seven point list of actions which Birmingham City Council aims to deliver on by 2015 as part of its effort to reinforce the city’s position as a national and international leader on the effort to tackle climate change.
2. CABLED – short for Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Demonstrators – is made up of 13 organisations that will develop and demonstrate 110 road-worthy vehicles to be trialled in the two cities over 12 months. The 13 organisations are Arup, Aston University, Birmingham City Council, University of Birmingham, Coventry City Council, Coventry University, E.ON, Jaguar Landrover, LTI Vehicles, Micro Cab, Mitsubishi Motors, Smart, Tata. CABLED is the largest of eight consortia from across the UK to participate in the £25 million Technology Strategy Board’s Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator competition as well as being the first to begin vehicle trials. The aim of the project is to find out how the cars are used – and when they need charging – to get a better idea of the driver’s experience of electrical cars. Regional Development Agency Advantage West Midlands has supported the CABLED consortium from the start and has invested £2.5million in the project, ensuring the Region’s participation in the competition. More information can be found at www.cabled.org.uk
3. For more information on In Town Without My Car Day, visit http://www.birminghamfoe.org.uk/transport-news/in-town-without-my-car-day-2010
4. Pictures of Cllr Tilsley in the car are available here
For further information contact Kris Kowalewski on 0121 303 3621
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