The Best Guide for the CR0 Area

Croydon Commuter Challenge 2007

Croydon Commuter Challenge is open to all individuals, businesses and organisations travelling in and around Croydon, to find out who can make the most difference to the environment, and their own health, by choosing sustainable or active transport.

Teams or individuals are invited to leave their cars at home and use alternatives such as walking, cycling, roller-blading, taking the tram, train or bus, or by car sharing, to reduce their CO2 emissions.

As well as helping the environment, participants stand to win one of the great prizes that are up for grabs, including: restaurant meals, MP3 players and vouchers.

Don't feel you're being left out if you already use sustainable transport. You, too, can win by taking part as there is a prize draw for all participants - and by using active transport and improving your health you're already a winner!

Why should you bother? Because:

• The health benefits of regular active transport can have a positive effect on heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis (thinning of the bones).

• Regular exercise through walking, running or cycling can help improve your mental health, and stress levels.

• It's easy; walking, running or cycling to work can be incorporated into your daily routine, there is no need to join a gym, nor to use special equipment.

• With door-to-door convenience and a known journey length, you are less likely to get stuck in traffic queues.

• Walking, running and cycling don't harm the environment and each can help you to lose weight and increase energy levels.

Councillor Phil Thomas, cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "Nowadays people are more and more aware of the need to take regular exercise to benefit their health.

"The beauty of the Croydon Commuter Challenge is that, in addition to doing themselves some good, those taking part are also doing their bit to help the environment in which we all live - so everybody benefits.

"I hope they'll realise that leaving the car at home and using a different means of getting to work isn't as difficult or irksome as they might have imagined, and they'll give serious thought to using their chosen alternative more often - particularly if it's walking, running or cycling."

To take part in the Croydon Commuter Challenge, and to get full details, visit www.croydononline.org/living/croydon_commuter_challenge/