- Traktual
Why is public transport more environmentally friendly?
Public transport plays a vital role in many people’s lives. Besides providing convenience to travel from one place to another, it is also safe, economical, and eco-friendly. That is why many people prefer to travel via public transport rather than take their private cars.
According to a British government report, rapid and unprecedented action will be needed to reduce car use and make the UK home to green technology. With an aim to start a ‘Green Transport Revolution,’ it is divided into six strategic priorities that will facilitate the UK to attain net-zero status by 2050. These six strategic priorities are:
Increasing a shift towards active and public transport
Reducing the carbon footprint in a global economy
Decarbonizing road vehicles
Emission reductions solution depending on location
Decarbonizing how services and goods reach us
Making the UK a hub of green innovation and technology
The report also states that more attention will be given to active transport like cycling and walking.
Other than bus, rail travel is also considered one of the environmentally friendly public transport alternatives to cars. According to some sources, the UK could even introduce solar-powered trains in the near future.
Why is Public Transport More Environmentally Friendly?
In the transport sector, most emissions are produced by solo driven cars. But when it comes to public transport, emissions can be reduced to a large extent. Here are just some reasons why public transport is more environmentally friendly…
Produces Fewer Quantities of Air Pollutants
Public transportation produces fewer air pollutants per passenger mile, such as nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Moreover, it also reduces vehicles with single occupancy, which reduces the number of pollutants in the air. Also, public transport does not provide door-to-door service, which means you have to walk a few steps to get into the transit stop. All these aspects help in reducing vehicle emissions.
Less Air Pollution
No matter what type of fuel a public vehicle uses, taking a train or riding a bus always offers less air pollution. Any person who decides to take a train or bus, leaving their vehicle at home decreases the chances of harmful pollutants entering the air. Compared to single-occupancy cars, public transport produces 45% less carbon dioxide, 92% fewer volatile organic compounds, and 48% less nitrogen oxide. When all these pollutants enter the atmosphere, it results in health issues, smog, acid deposition, and global warming.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emission
Riding on public transport means you will be contributing to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and your own carbon footprint. A fully occupied train is 15 times more fuel-efficient than a car. Moreover, buses only produce 20% more carbon monoxide per passenger miles than single-occupant cars.
Public Buses Keep Our Air Cleaner
Buses, especially electric and diesel-powered, produce less pollution than cars per passenger miles. In fact, Go-Ahead Group, one of the largest bus and rail operators in the UK, introduces the Bluestar Bus with an air-filtration. The air filtration system in the bus can remove 99.5 % of particles in the atmosphere, releasing purified clean air safe to breathe. This is undoubtedly, one of the major steps the UK has taken towards a greener public transport.
Public transportation encourages commuters to take a bus or train, reduces fuel consumption, and improves air quality. The environmental benefits translate into health benefits such as fewer cancer cases, asthma, and other respiratory diseases. Using public transport is one of the essential steps towards decreasing global greenhouse gas emissions – but what if it could be even better?
Traktual is a new transport system that works in both cities and rural areas, making green transport accessible to everyone! The simple infrastructure works via an overhead electrical supply system which guides the vehicles around the system. Find out more about Traktual.