The Scottish Government has defended spending £32,500 on knocking on people’s doors in Cupar to tell them how to travel more sustainably.
At a time when cuts are being made across the public sector, five travel advisors have been hired by Fife Council to encourage people in Cupar to walk, cycle or take the bus rather than drive around town.
The initiative, funded by the government’s Future Jobs Fund, is part of a plan to reduce pollution after one of Cupar’s main streets was declared an air quality management area. However, the two pollutants causing the problem appear to have already been brought back to a safe level by a road layout change, which has reduced queuing traffic at the narrowest part of the street.
A government spokesman said, “Based on available information, we consider this to be a reasonable use of funds. Latest monitoring data (2009) indicates that concentrations of the pollutants of concern nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter are below the air quality objectives.
“However, it is not appropriate to draw conclusions from one year’s data it is necessary to wait and see whether this trend is maintained over several years. It is also important to note that the monitors did not operate between February and early July 2009.
“Although the remaining data was adjusted to provide a 12-month average, it is possible that the figures are not truly representative. A full year’s data for 2010 will be available soon.
“Having said that, there are some early indications that implementation of the action plan may be contributing to reduced concentrations, although it is too early to say for sure.”
The scheme which promises “every house in Cupar can expect a visit from one of Fife Council’s travel advisors over the next few weeks” is one of several projects resulting from the Cupar air quality action plan. The Try It team, as the advisors are known, have already started encouraging residents to travel in a more sustainable and active fashion when making short trips.
Independent Cupar councillor Bryan Poole said, “I wouldn’t want someone coming to my door asking me how often I walk up the street compared to taking the car but I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be reminded of the impact of our behaviour on the environment.”
But he questioned, “While we are making decisions about reducing our budgets is this the best way to be spending public sector money?”
Chairman of the council’s north-east Fife area committee, Councillor Andrew Arbuckle, said, “I hope that lots of people will be keen to get involved and help improve Cupar’s air quality in any way they can.”