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Reduce Traffic Congestion
Traffic congestion impacts on everyone. Possibly its most damaging impact is on the lives of the people living in the region. People have to face longer and longer commuting times to get to and from work, leaving them with less time to spend with their families. By choosing alternatives to your car, where possible, you’ll be doing your bit to help reduce travel times, stress levels and all the other woes that go with sitting in traffic.
Business too is affected. In a survey carried out by the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland among its members in 2005, some 71% of companies experienced negative effects on their business as a result of traffic congestion in the previous twelve months. Over a third (34%) of companies had delivered goods late to their clients as a result of traffic congestion, 41% were late for a meeting with a client, while over half of all respondents (51%) had lost working hours due to traffic congestion.
If everyone in the GDA left their car behind for one journey each week, there would be 200,000 fewer car trips every day in the region! Worth remembering if you’re sitting in a car in traffic during a trip for which you could have used alternatives.
While all the investment that Transport 21 will bring is a big move in the right direction, all of us need to remember that Smarter Travel Workplaces will still be required if we are to beat congestion.
Opting to take public transport, taking part in a car pooling scheme, or walking or cycling to work or any other destination will reduce congestion and contribute to an improvement in everyone’s lives.
