DERRY City and Strabane District Council area residents are being urged to embrace the principles of Clean Air Day this Thursday, June 17, by considering the active travel alternatives to cars and public transport.
Clean Air Day is the UK’s largest air pollution campaign, engaging with thousands of people at hundreds of events and reaching millions more through the media.
To mark the event, Sustrans Active Travel Workplace Officer Kieran Coyle will host three events as part of the Leading the Way project which supports Western Trust and Council employees in making active travel choices.
“This Clean Air Day we are encouraging all Council staff and the general public to ditch the car for one day only and travel by bicycle or foot,” he explained.
“To help facilitate it we have arranged for bike owners to have their vehicle registered for free by the PSNI outside the Council offices.
“Registering involves an individual code and sticker being applied to each bike and the details added to a database.
“The security marking and registration are good, visible deterrents to bike thieves who know if they are caught in possession of a registered bike, the rightful owner can be traced and they may face prosecution.”
Booking for the bike registration is essential and you can bring one bike per ticket, people are advised to arrive five minutes before your ticket time.
Book your time slot at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bike-registration-outside-derry-city-and-strabane-offices-registration-159413785925
Other events being arranged on the day are electric bike demonstrations at Ebrington Square and a free e bike hire for Council staff.
Short sessions of around 25 minutes will give offer a basic guide to E-bikes, the instructor will explain the basics of an e-bike, take any questions you might have and ensure you are comfortable on the bike before taking them for a test drive around the square.
To participate you must be able to ride a regular bike and be over the age of 18.
Book your time slot here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/try-an-e-bike-northwest-ebrighton-square-lderry-city-registration-155751983375
Council have purchased some e-bikes for staff to travel into work by and Kieran will be loaning out the first e-bike on a short term loan scheme on #cleanairday and will be providing on go guidance and advice.
Don’t worry if you haven’t been on bike in a long time, the LTW project has a wealth of training courses that you can attend for free.
Get in touch with Kieran by email [email protected] for more information.
Every year, air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK.
The World Health Organisation and the UK Government recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk we face today.
Poor air quality causes heart and lung diseases, is linked to low birth weight and children’s lung development and may even contribute to mental health issues.
Air pollution affects you from your first breath to your last and causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK every year.
For further information on Clean Air Day visit: www.cleanairday.org.uk
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