CAMPAIGNS
Carbusters
www.carbusters.org
International organisation campaigning for a car-free world.
Environmental Transport Association
0800 212810, www.eta.co.uk
Green car insurance from a company that lobbies for more cycle lanes rather than more roads.
HACAN ClearSkies
0208 8876 0455, www.hacan.org.uk
Anti-airport campaigners, specifically targeted around Heathrow.
London Cycling Campaign
020 7234 9310, www.lcc.org.uk
Campaign to make London a "world class cycling city".
Rail Future
www.railfuture.org.uk
Independent organisation campaigning for better rail services for passengers and freight.
Road Alert
www.roadalert.org.uk
Information resource about direct actions centred on transport.
Road Block
020 7729 6973, www.roadblock.org.uk
Campaign organisation supporting anti-road campaigns around the UK.
Roadrage
www.roadrage.org.uk
Aims to be a "point of reference" for green road transport campaigns.
Sustrans
0845 113 0065, www.sustrans.org.uk
Sustainable transport campaigners.
The Slower Speeds Initiative
www.slower-speeds.org.uk
Campaigns for slower speeds.
TRANSform Scotland
0131 467 7714, www.transformscotland.org.uk
Campaign for sustainable transport system in Scotland.
Transport 2000
020 7613 0743, www.transport2000.org.uk
Independent national organisation promoting sustainable transport.
FLYING AND ALTERNATIVES
Choose Climate
www.chooseclimate.org/flying
Unusual page about impact of flight.
The Man in Seat 61
www.seat61.com
A personal site set up by Mark Smith, a devoted railwayman, about nonair routes around the world.
Transport Impact Calculator
01273 878781, www.travelcalculator.org
Site set up by East Sussex county council, with a simple calculator for your annual travel emissions.
RAIL INFORMATION
National Rail Enquiries
08457 484950, www.nationalrail.co.uk
Invaluable online timetable for calculating quickest way to do any rail journey.
Rail Passengers Council
08453 022022, www.railpassengers.org.uk
The national rail consumer watchdog with information about travel rights.
BUS INFO
National Federation of Bus Users
023 9281 4493, www.nfbu.org
Independent group formed to give bus passengers a voice. Information about the complaints procedure.
Wiggly Bus
01249 460 600, www.wigglybus.com
One of the Demand Responsive Transport systems in operation: a bus which can be booked by passengers to go off-route.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFORMATION
Traveline
0870 608 2608, www.traveline.org.uk
Website providing information about UK travel on bus, coach or train.
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
Department for Transport
020 7944 8300, www.dft.gov.uk
Government policy on public transport, road building, aviation and railways.
In Town Without My Car
www.itwmc.gov.uk
Town centres close out cars one day a year and party on!
The Highways Agency
08457 504030, www.highways.gov.uk
Responsible for operating, maintaining and improving the strategic road network.
ACCIDENTS AND SUPPORT
RoadPeace
0845 4500 355, www.roadpeace.org
National charity dedicated to supporting bereaved and injured road crash victims, as well as campaigning for road safety.
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
0121 248 2000, www.rospa.com
Charity campaigning for education, change and safety.
ENERGY-SAVING CARS
Air Car
0034 93 362 3700, www.theaircar.com
Cars that run on compressed air. A long time in development.
Alternative Vehicles Technology
01823 480 196, www.avt.uk.com
Company selling a wide range of electric cars and vans, including Renault Twingos.
Electric Vehicles UK
www.evuk.co.uk
Electric Vehicles support page: extremely emphatic tone.
Honda
0845 200 8000, www.honda.co.uk
Producers of Honda Civic Hybrid and Honda Insight, as well as investing heavily in research into hydrogen.
Lexus Hybrid
0845 278 8888, www.lexus-hybrid.com
All about the Lexus hybrid.
Sakura
020 8896 1133, www.sbsbsb.com
Sellers of the Maranello4, a new electric car, and electric bikes.
The Battery Vehicle Society
www.bvs.org.uk
A UK club of people interested in battery-run electric vehicles.
Toyota
0845 275 5555, www.toyota.co.uk
Makers of the Toyota Prius hybrid.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS
Alternative Fuel Systems
01403 791116, www.afs.uk.com
Company researching and developing liquefied petroleum gas and fuel cell technologies.
BioDiesel Filling Stations
www.biodieselfillingstations.co.uk
List of all the places to fill up a biodiesel-fuelled vehicle in the UK.
Bio-Power
01286 830312, www.bio-power.co.uk
Network of companies (including the Straight Vegetable Oil association) making a range of bio-fuels.
Goldenfuels
01865 423636, www.goldenfuels.com
Workers co-op set up to make and distribute biofuel in Oxford area.
Greenergy
0207 74047700, www.greenergy.co.uk
Sells biofuels in the south east.
Low Impact Living Initiative
01296 714184, www.lowimpact.org
Runs a course in conversion and use of biodiesel fuels.
LPG Autogas
www.boostlpg.co.uk
Organisation supporting and advocating LPG use.
Veggiepower
www.veggiepower.org.uk
Information about making biodiesel.
Vehicle Certification Agency's Car Fuel Data
0117 9515151, www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk
Extremely useful site with technical data on most modern car models, including their fuel efficiency and emission rates.
CAR CLUBS
Car Plus: the Car Club Network
0113 234 9299, www.carclubs.org.uk
National charity promoting responsible car use: list of car clubs around the UK.
Carshare (with North London Transport)
08700 780225, www.northlondontransport.org
North London carshare scheme
Freewheelers
www.freewheelers.co.uk
Online database for people offering or requiring lifts around UK.
Liftshare.com
08700 780225, www.liftshare.com
Multi-award winning national carsharing database for private individuals and businesses.
MyLifts.com
www.mylifts.com
Carshare website
Shareacar.com
www.shareacar.com
Carshare website based mainly in the Midlands and south of UK.
Smart Moves
0845 330 1234, www.smartmoves.co.uk
Carclubs based in Edinburgh, Huddersfield, Norwich, Portsmouth, Brighton, London, Reading, Bath and Bristol.
VillageCarShare.com
www.villagecarshare.com
Information about setting up carshare schemes in villages.
TAXIS
Green Tomato Cars
www.greentomatocars.com
London minicab firm using only Toyota Prius hybrids.
CYCLING
A to B Magazine
01305 259998, www.atob.org.uk
Magazine about everything to do with cycling - gear and advice.
Bicycle Doctor
0161 224 1303, www.bicycledoctor.co.uk
Worker's co-op in Manchester selling and repairing bikes.
Brompton Bicycles
www.bromptonbicycle.co.uk
Makers of highly-rated folding bicycle; includes list of dealers.
Cycle Campaign Network
www.cyclenetwork.org.uk
UK national federation of cycle campaign groups.
Cycle 1st
0870 746 9557, www.cycle1st.co.uk
Portal for all things bike.
Cyclists Touring Club
0870 873 0060, www.ctc.org.uk
UK's national cyclists' organisation: includes Cyclists Defence Fund, touring clubs and cycling holidays.
The Folding Society
01384 256173, www.foldsoc.co.uk
Informal society for owners of folding and seperable bikes.
Kinetics
0141 942 2552, www.kbikes.co.uk
Scottish sellers of electric bikes, folding bikes and recumbent bikes.
Strida UK
0845 0020190, www.strida.com
Makers of an ultra-lite and modernistic folding bike.
Velovision Magazine
01904 438224, www.velovision.co.uk
"A quarterly dose of cycle inspiration".
Workbike.org
www.workbike.org
List of trike, bike and pedicab makers.
ELECTRIC SCOOTERS
ScootElectric
01206 233180, www.scootelectric.co.uk
Sells electric scooters (nice looking too) through a network of dealers.
WALKING
Home Zone News
020 7843 6016, www.homezonenews.org.uk
The Home Zone project is working to put emphasis on pedestrians and cyclists in urban residential areas.
Living Streets
020 7820 1010, www.livingstreets.org.uk
"Champions of streets and public spaces for people on foot".
FURTHER READING
Car Sick: Solutions for our Car-Addicted Culture by Lynn Sloman is a thoughtful look at alternative ways that cities could be organised. More overtly anti-car is Divorce Your Car! by Katie Alvord, while Cutting Your Car Use by Anna Semlyen comes up with ideas for reducing traffic.
If you want to be inspired to get on your bike, the Guardian's Matt Seaton wrote a lovely memoir about life and cycle racing, The Escape Artist. More recently, his book On Your Bike is a useful guide to being on two wheels. And Cycling in the UK: The Official Guide to the National Cycle Network by Sandi Toksvig does what it says on the tin.
For tips on living without a car, Carfree Cities by JH Crawford looks at the approach of cities present and future. There's an accompanying website: carfree.com.
There are loads of books about steam trains (it's a small industry), but the modern rail system inspires less rapture. Broken Rails by Christian Wolmar and Off the Rails: The Crisis on Britain's Railways by Andrew Murray both take a highly critical look at the effect of privatisation. Finally, Great British Bus Journeys: Travels Through Unfamous Places by another Guardian stalwart, David McKie, is not really about transport. But it's a very good read and a reminder of the odd treasures that you may be introduced to by the vagaries of our public transport system.
