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South Africa: Public Transport Reduces Carbon Footprint By 10%
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BuaNews (Tshwane)
22 April 2008
Posted to the web 22 April 2008
Nthambeleni Gabara
Pretoria
If just one commuter of a household switches from driving a private car to using public transport, the household's carbon footprint will be reduced by 10 percent, according to the Gautrain Rapid Round-Up (GRRU).
In support of the Earth Day celebrations on Tuesday the GRRU decided to focus on the benefits of using public transport.
World Earth Day is annually celebrated to inspire residents about environmental awareness in building a safer, healthier, cleaner and sustainable world.
"If a household gives up its second car altogether, a household can reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent," according to a statement by the GRRU.
As a result of the traffic volumes that are escalating by 7 percent per year between Johannesburg and the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, the GRRU said carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from private cars will increasingly contribute to global warming.
When the influx of people to the economic powerhouse of the country intensifies, precious green areas will have to make way for parking bays, wider roads and urban sprawl.
It is believed that this will further result in traffic gridlocks unless reliable public transport solutions are combined with sustainable, high-density urban planning.
Traveling by rail reduces your contribution to climate change. Emissions of CO2 per passenger/km are, on average, approximately half that of travel by car," according to the GRRU.
The Gautrain will considerably reduce air pollution generated by transport and it is anticipated that it will reduce CO2 emissions by about 70 tons.
It is estimated that the Gautrain will reduce the traffic congestion between Johannesburg and Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality by 20 percent.
Access to integrated public transport will provide the only sustainable solution as more people want to live in the city.
Public transport produces 90 percent less carbon monoxide, 90 percent less in volatile organic compounds and about half as much CO2 and nitrogen oxide per passenger-km as private vehicles.
According to the GRRU, it is not energy efficient to carry an average of 1.3 people in a car which itself weights more than 1 000kg.
Private cars consume three times more energy and produce three times more CO2 per passenger than public transport.
Public transport can achieve significant energy savings and lessen our dependence in imported fuel and oil. Public transport users save about R5 000 in fuel per year.
During the construction of Gautrain, special care is taken to protect natural resources, communities and valuable heritage.
Construction sites are continuously monitored and regular meetings are held with affected communities.
Control measures are enforced according to the Gautrain's Environmental Management Plan as required by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment.
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While public transport is a green industry, the GRRU indicates that transit agencies are working to make it greener. Public transport is part of the solution to helping reduce greenhouse gases.
According to the American Public Transportation Association, the United States of America's carbon footprint is reduced by 37 million metric tons because of the use of public transport.
This is equivalent to 4.9 million households using electricity in a year.
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