National Walking Month - Luton people urged to ditch the car and walk

May is Living Streets' National Walking Month, and this year’s campaign is asking people to #Try20 and walk for 20 minutes every day in May.

Luton Council is encouraging residents and school children to take part, and even go one step further by leaving the car at home where possible.

By swapping a short drive for a short walk, or your usual drive to work for public transport and a bit of walking, you can help reduce air pollution, congestion and road danger.

Walking is an easy and accessible way to improve physical and mental health and a 20-minute walk can reduce the risk of preventable health conditions, including certain cancers, depression, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Walk to School Week starts on Monday 16 May – a challenge for children and their parents or carers to walk to and from school every day. Luton Council’s Road Safety team is running a competition through schools, asking youngsters to promote walking, cycling and push scooting to school by creating a poster. Gift vouchers will be given for the best designs.

Cllr Rob Roche, portfolio holder responsible for Sustainable Development and Highways, said: “We are currently facing the huge challenge of climate change and have adopted a target of delivering a zero carbon town by 2040. Transport has a huge part to play in whether we meet this target so we must encourage as many as possible to travel more actively, and maybe consider walking as an alternative to travelling by car.”

“By encouraging residents to change their travel habits and go to work or school by foot, push scooter or cycle during this month, we hope promote the benefits and reduce the reliance on vehicles in the town.”

To find out more visit www.livingstreets.org.uk

You can also email [email protected] to share photos. If you do so before Friday 27 may, you could enter the Climate Change Champion competition as part of the ‘Easy Being Green’ campaign.

The poster should be A4 and feature the wording 'Leave the car at Home'. All entries should be sent to [email protected] by 5pm on Friday 20 May 2022.

Will you be leaving the car at home? Let us know what you think at [email protected]