The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, officially launched good going - travel awareness in London at a central London morning press conference today.
good going - travel awareness in London, is a London wide campaign which brings together the Mayor (through Transport for London), the 32 London Boroughs and a range of cross sector partners to promote sustainable transport and travel in the Capital.
A good going week of events, from 15 to 22 September, are being organised by the London boroughs throughout the Capital. Then a rolling programme of London-wide events, initiatives and activities will create and reinforce the importance of reducing traffic congestion and vehicle emissions. Individuals and organisations will play their part in the campaign by formally signing the good going pledge (to walk, cycle, use public transport, when possible, and to car share or use low emission vehicles when this is an option).
Mayor Ken Livingstone, said:
“I am committed to providing more opportunities for walking, cycling and other forms of sustainable transport in the capital. Improving the health and quality of life of Londoners is vital and I’m delighted to be supporting the good going campaign.
“Over the last four years, we have cut congestion and pollution in central London dramatically through the introduction of the congestion charge. By simultaneously radically improving the bus service and investing heavily to improve other transport services, Londoners have real alternatives to travelling by car. A key part of this is to improve our environment so as to encourage people to walk and cycle more. This includes the launch this year of the Walking Plan for London - the first of its kind in the UK; taking forward plans to create the London Cycle Network Plus by 2009/10; publishing the highly popular London Cycle Guides and improving cycle facilities at mainline rail stations.”
TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, Peter Hendy, said of the campaign:
“The good going campaign stresses that we really can improve the health and quality of life for everyone living, working, visiting or being educated in London by reducing traffic congestion and vehicle emissions in the Capital. good going initiatives, which will support other traffic reduction and air quality measures being introduced in London, are all designed to encourage us to walk, cycle or to use public transport instead of the car, when possible, and to car share or use low emission vehicles when this is an option.”
Everyone who signs the good going pledge will receive a loyalty card giving them London wide and borough specific offers and incentives and ongoing campaign information. There will also be regular ‘lottery style’ prize draws for pledge card holders.
The junior version of the campaign is gogo, which will get the message across to primary school age children in a way that is informative, educational and fun.
The gogo campaign will be ‘fronted’ by the Go Go Crew (www.gogocrew.co.uk), a cartoon band specially created to provide positive life-style role models for primary school aged children
