Guelph Transit will be offering free rides all day Wednesday June 6 to mark national Clean Air Day.
Clean Air Day is a celebration of environmentally friendly activities that promote clean air and good health across Canada. It takes place during Commuter Challenge Week, a national program to increase awareness of alternatives to driving alone to get to work.
“We hope by offering free transit service on Clean Air Day, people will be motivated to try transit as a dependable alternative to get to and from work,” Guelph Transit general manager Michael Anders said in a news release.
“Guelph Transit also offers bike racks on every bus, allowing commuters to ‘bike and bus’ to work,” he said.
The city has offered free transit on Clean Air Day since 2001, with the exception of 2005. Guelph Transit says increases in ridership of between 3% and 5% are generally seen that day. The net cost to Guelph Transit of the free service is budgeted at about $10,000.
Guelph Transit says it has been making its own contribution to cleaner air since 2003, when it started using bio-diesel as its only fuel source. It says the mixture of 20% vegetable oil with 80% petroleum diesel burns cleaner and produces fewer odours than convention diesel fuel.