Smarter Travel Sutton scoops industry awards

10.25.00am GMT Thu 26th Mar 2009

The Deputy Leader of Lib Dem Sutton Council, Cllr Colin Hall, has won a top industry award for his outstanding contribution to local transport in London.

Colin picked up the special prize at the London Transport Awards, in part for his leading role in the Smarter Travel Sutton initiative, a £5 mn pilot project between Sutton Council and Transport for London (TfL) to promote greener travel in the borough.

When awarding the prize judges praised Colin for his 'long track record of distinguished service.' They pointed out that the Lib Dem Council is the 'only four star improving strongly with top rated environmental performance council in London', and paid tribute to Colin's role in achieving that.

Colin Hall said: "This award is really for all the residents, schools and businesses who have been such enthusiastic supporters of Smarter Travel Sutton. The results we are seeing, with cycling up 50% last year for example, show that local people share the Lib Dem vision for a greener borough.

"By working with TfL and others we are putting this vision into practice and I hope other London boroughs will follow our lead.

"In Sutton we can and will continue to chip away at people's reliance on the car. In the coming months will start talking to residents about major transport projects in places such as Wallington, that will make walking, cycling and public transport the best way to travel in the borough."

Ben Plowden, Director of Smarter Travel for TfL, said: "We are delighted to see Sutton's success recognised. Smarter Travel Sutton, funded by TfL, has been hugely influential in changing attitudes and behaviour in the borough, making it a greener, healthier place for people to live and work.

"We will continue to work with Sutton Council to promote sustainable travel in the borough and hope to see this success replicated across other London boroughs in the near future."

Note: Smarter Travel Sutton is a three-year, £5m partnership between TfL and Sutton Council to reduce car use and promote sustainable travel.

It was launched in September 2006. Personalised travel advisors visited 70,000 homes in Sutton in 2007, speaking to two-thirds of householders to offer free support and advice about travelling around the borough.

Sutton is one of the first boroughs in London to secure approved travel plans for all of its schools by April 2008. More than 15,000 employees in Sutton now work for companies with an approved workplace travel plan.