Promoting cycling as a sustainable mobility mode and changing daily travel habits.
Excessive car use has harmful consequences, including air pollution, noise, traffic congestion and negative health impacts such as increased stress, lack of exercise and inhalation of polluted air. Car dependency is one of the biggest causes of climate change. It is therefore crucial that we turn to sustainable transport modes, which will reduce our carbon footprint, improve our health and contribute to a more sustainable and friendlier environment for all.
Research shows that Slovenians use the car daily even on short journeys that they could easily walk or cycle. We are used to using cars because we think it is the easiest and fastest way to get around, but this thinking has many negative consequences for both individuals and society. Notably, Slovenians spend 17% of their total income on car maintenance, which puts us among the top in Europe.
You can read more about travel habits in Slovenia in our research Why do Slovenians travel the way they do? here.
“Data shows that more than half of the journeys we make by car are less than two kilometres. Clearly, not everyone can cycle to work – some because of distance, some because of the specifics of the job or because of health problems. But we encourage everyone else who can, to start cycling.” Nela Halilović, IPoP – Institute for Spatial Policies.
Cycling is a great alternative to driving, with many benefits. Among other things, it produces no CO₂ emissions, which is crucial for protecting the environment, especially in urban areas where the air is already polluted. In addition, cyclists can be extremely efficient, avoiding traffic jams and the hassle of finding parking spaces, allowing them to get to work faster and more reliably. And as an added benefit, cyclists can save money that would otherwise be spent on fuel and parking fees.
The national initiative Bike to Work (Polni zagona in Slovenian) encourages everyday cycling to work instead of driving. It is a challenge for individuals who want to change their daily travel habits, start the day with less stress and more energy, while addressing challenges in the work environment more effectively. The campaign is organised by IPoP – Institute for Spatial Policies in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia and the Digital Agency D’Agency within the activities of the LIFE IP CARE4CLIMATE project. It is also supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands, where a campaign to promote cycling to work was also launched at the beginning of May.
The first challenge lasts for one month, starting on 8 May 2023. Throughout the initiative, we’ll be posting lots of useful tips, and by completing the weekly challenges, participants will also be entered into a prize draw for weekly and grand prizes! By taking part, they will become part of a socially responsible movement for public health and contribute to preserving the environment for future generations.
To encourage people to change their travel habits we launched a Less than 2 campaign. Read more about it here.
National bike to work campaign is an activity of the LIFE IP CARE4CLIMATE project (LIFE17 IPC/SI/000007), an integrated project co-funded by the European LIFE Programme, the national Climate Change Fund and the project partners.
