Climate Changes Direction Of Travel

60% willing to try alternative transport

- LOUISE BURNE

SOME 60 per cent of Irish people have said that they are willing to change the way they travel in a bid to save the environment.

A new Red C survey commissioned by the Department of Transport has revealed that 77 per cent of people agree that walking, cycling and using public transport more are important to cut down on emissions.

The findings of the survey were released by the Department of Transport yesterday as it launches a new campaign called Your Journey Counts.

It comes just weeks after a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that Ireland's transport emissions increased by six per cent last year.

The new survey has suggested that 77 per cent of Irish people agree that walking, cycling and using public transport more is important with regards to impact on the environment.

Sixty per cent are willing to personally make changes to how they travel.

The findings also suggested that 73 per cent of car drivers and passengers would ditch their car for walking, cycling and public transport for short journeys of less than two kilometres.

The majority of these journeys are currently made by private cars.