CHANNEL Four's programme Can You Live Without Your People Carrier, broadcast on June 5, highlighted the problems that some people have trying to do without their car. As part of the Don't Choke Britain campaign to raise awareness of traffic congestion and air pollution, Wycombe District Council asked five people to demonstrate how much they depend on the car by keeping a record of their journeys over three days.

Kelly Clayton reports.

Mother Jo Tiddy lives in Thame with her husband and four-year-old daughter Megan and works three days a week as heritage projects officer at Wycombe District Council.

Jo, who is expecting a baby, uses a trailer bike to do her shopping from a nearby supermarket and keeps a travel log over three days including one workday and two days at home.

Jo lives 14 miles from work and comes in by car but for a five mile return journey for a meeting at Kingsmead Depot, she cycles.

On her days at home she uses her trailer bike or walks. She only uses the car for one of her four journeys during the two days at home her hospital appointment at John Radcliffe Hospital. For a two mile return journey to the town centre, Jo uses the trailer bike.

She travels a total of 65 miles during seven return journeys, of which 56 miles are done by car for two return journeys.

Meanwhile Bob Stiff, 50, of Piddington, is married and has two sons aged eight and 12.

He said: "I have a disability, which affects my mobility and need to use my car to get about. Piddington does have a bus service but never at the times to suit me, it seems."

Bob works at Brunel University's Uxbridge Campus, travelling 45 minutes each way by car because public transport would cost £15 a day and take up to three hours each way.

His wife Doreen drives to work in Wycombe and uses a car each day. Between them they do around 25,000 miles a year.

Bob travels a total of 365 miles for eight journeys over the three days, all by car. For the majority of these, there was more than one passenger.

Heather Wicks, of Tylers Green, has three children and finds it very difficult to avoid using the car.

She said: "I just do not have the time to walk them places if all three need to go in separate directions."

For three days over the half term holiday, she and her family travelled a total of 23.5 miles for five return journeys. Heather found that even for the shortest journeys she was pressed into using the car because of time constraints in picking up children.

Jennifer Baker, a trainee midwife at Wycombe Hospital, has a similar problem although fortunately her two children go to school next to the hospital so she does not have to make an extra journey for the school run.

She is also a member of an operatic group and drives a distance of two miles to evening sessions to save time.

Jennifer said: "As I am asthmatic, walking up hills is not good for me, particularly along busy roads where air quality is poor."

Over the three days she travelled a total of 227 miles, including a trip to Southend.

Dr David and Gill Twissell are retired and live in Tylers Green. They are involved in a large number of groups and activities and travel into High Wycombe frequently.

They do not live near a public transport route so tend to travel by car.

They are keen walkers and make an effort to walk short distances within the village. David will even walk into High Wycombe, a distance of 3.5 miles.

They both attend All Saint's Church where David is a bell-ringer and Gill is a choir member but although they need to be there at different times, they travel together and Gill waits in the car. Over three days they made four return journeys totalling 34 miles.

Wycombe District Council's transport officer, Dave Roberts, commented: "What has impressed me most is that these people are all aware of the problems involved with becoming reliant on the car and are thinking about the journeys they make."

As part of his job, Dave tries to raise awareness and encourage people to use alternatives to the car where they can.

He said: "For the majority of people the car offers freedom, convenience and a quality of life not seen by previous generations."

He added: "Through being cocooned in their parents cars, children are becoming less healthy, and less able to cope with traffic.

"Many people have got into the habit of jumping in the car for every trip and are increasingly discounting alternatives such as cycling or walking."

For more information call 01494 421570.

To join Bucks CarShare visit www.buckscarshare.co.uk or telephone 01628 810010.