Public transport ticket with carbon footprint
Krakow is the first large Polish city to start calculating its carbon footprint, namely the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Now it is going a step further - anyone deciding to commute by public transport on a daily basis will learn by glancing at their ticket that this decision significantly helps to reduce carbon emissions. Krakow is the first city in Poland to introduce tickets that state the carbon footprint of a trip. This information on the ticket and in the mobile application is symbolic.
Every means of transport has its advantages and disadvantages, and this initiative is not about opting for only one, to the exclusion of others. The city’s role is to create adequate opportunities for all those who want to get around by various means of transport, so that they have a choice and are able to commute around the city in a way that is safe and beneficial, and as fast as possible. ‘The European Mobility Week is a good opportunity to say what has been done in this matter on the one hand, and on the other to consider what challenges still lie ahead,’ says Andrzej Kulig, Deputy Mayor of Krakow for Social and Municipal Policy.
Krakow has calculated the carbon footprint generated by moving around the city by public transport and by car. ‘For several years, we have been monitoring greenhouse gases as a city, using an international methodology to do so. We also report the values obtained on an international platform. Now we have used this knowledge to raise awareness. In calculating transportation-related emissions, we relied on average values for the adopted premises. Transport data show that the average length of a trip by Public Transport in Krakow is 6.4 kilometres per day, while separate calculations were made on the basis of the transportation model for passenger cars,’ explains Andrzej Łazęcki, director of the Department of Municipal Management and Climate at Krakow City Hall.
It appears that in the case of Krakow, it is possible to reduce the carbon footprint by as much as seven times, provided that public transport is used and individual travel by car is abandoned. ‘Importantly, this carbon footprint calculation was not based on national or European data, but on the actual situation in the city, based on local data concerning Krakow’s public transport versus the car traffic on our streets. As a result, we know that it is possible to reduce the carbon footprint by seven times every day by choosing public transport,’ stresses Ewa Całus, Plenipotentiary of the Mayor of Krakow for Climate Awareness.
Therefore, the following message will be placed on Krakow tickets: ‘By choosing public transport instead of a car, you reduce CO2 emissions by seven times each day. Your average daily trip causes emissions of only 0.07 kg of CO2.’ This notice will also be available in English.
The calculations were prepared by the Department of Management and Climate at Krakow City Hall, based on data from the city’s municipal transport vehicles, on energy consumed and quantities of fuel consumed, and the Krakow Traffic Model, which gives traffic volumes in Krakow.
A Carbon footprint is now a widely accepted measure of our environmental impact in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. As climate change progresses, it is extremely important to look for ways to reduce this footprint. This is really important, especially for cities with the largest populations. Sustainable, emission-free transportation means a better quality of life and health for all of us.
