Skip to main content

Join our active travel challenge and win prizes!

We and Sustrans are challenging people to try cleaner, greener, healthier ways of getting from A to B this June.

The Big Plymouth Travel Challenge encourages people to leave the car at home for more of their everyday journeys and choose active options – for example walking, cycling, scooting or skating – as a way of staying fit and healthy, saving money and helping to improve local air quality.

Everyone who registers will get online access to lots of useful hints, tips and support and a personalised dashboard where they can log their progress and even set themselves targets, such as calories burned, miles travelled or carbon emissions cut.

As an extra incentive, there are prizes up for grabs each week and at the end of the month-long challenge, including 200-minute Beryl Bike ‘bundles’, shopping vouchers and a Laserlight Core bike light.

It’s all part of our ‘active travel prescribing’ programme, where our transport and public health teams work with partners including Sustrans, as well as health providers, link workers (within GP practices and health and wellbeing hubs) and community groups to get more people enjoying active travel as a form of exercise.

Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “Everyone knows the importance of regular physical activity but we don’t always think of the daily journeys we make as a way of achieving this. Even if we just walk or cycle for a few of those trips – or part of them – it can make a big difference to our health and overall wellbeing.

“It also helps to reduce the amount of traffic on our roads, which is good for everyone. I gave up my car five years ago and haven’t looked back. We want to promote active travel not just for leisure but also as a safe and practical option for getting around the city.”

Councillor Tom Briars-Delve, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, added: “We are all aware of the impact of climate change and the more active journeys we each choose to make, the more we are helping to reduce harmful emissions and improve the local environment for everyone.

“This challenge is a great, fun way for us to encourage people to give walking, wheeling and cycling a go and to promote all the support that is available, such as free cycle training, bike maintenance and led rides.”

Everyone who lives or works in Plymouth is welcome to sign up to the challenge and you can go solo or team up with friends, family or colleagues.

Just head to the challenge website, register and start logging your journeys!

The challenge starts tomorrow (Thursday) and runs for the whole of June but you can register at any point. For more details visit the website or email plymotion@plymouth.gov.uk.