Car Breakdown Company of the Year is twenty years old today
April 9, 2010
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The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) today celebrates its twentieth anniversary.
The ETA was founded in 1990 to raise awareness of the impact of excessive car use and help individuals and organisations to make positive changes in their travel habits – work that is in part funded through the sale of car breakdown services , cycle insurance and travel insurance.
The ETA was last year named car breakdown company of the year.
Director of the ETA, Andrew Davis, said: “The ETA, with your support, has done so much over the last twenty years but we still have so much more to do. Biofuels, air travel, shared space, safe routes for cyclists, decarbonising car transport – the list goes on. Whether you have joined us today or you have been with us since the very beginning your support is vital. Here’s to the next twenty years.”
The Environmental Transport Association
The story so far
1990
We are founded with the aim of minimising transport’s negative effects on the environment. Soon after we co-found the European Federation for Transport and the Environment (T&E). We submit our first report to the British government in response to its White Paper on the environment
1991
We publish ‘The Real Cost of Motoring’, a report which sets out the full costs of motoring as can safely be quantified in monetary terms
1992
The ETA Car Buyers’ Guide is born. The guide is an annual survey of the environmental impacts of cars available in British showrooms
1993
We create the concept of a Green Transport Week to encourage people to do their bit to reduce transport’s effect on the environment
1994
We launch ETA’s Safer Car Campaign. Walk to School Week begins as part of Green Transport Week
1996
We join Car Plus – the national federation of car sharing organisations
1997
We launch the world’s first national car free day. The first ETA Corporate Environmental Index is published. We join the Pedestrians’ Policy Group. We publish Road-User Exposure to Air Pollution – A literature Review. This receives national media coverage as people discover that people in a car breathe more polluted air than those outside
1998
We found the Slower Speeds Initiative (SSI) along with others and coin the phrase ‘20’s Plenty’. Our submission to the Transport White Paper is published. Our survey by Oxford University results in Oxford citizens being in favour of a ban of traffic in the city centre. We are invited by the then national Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions’ Cleaning Vehicle Task to help promote environmentally friendly vehicles
1999
Our first Green Car Buyers’ Awards are held in London. The awards reward cars that have the least environmental impact. We publish Fair Payment from Road Users? – a critical look at calculations for air pollution
2000
We are invited to join the Motorists’ Forum’s Rights and Responsibilities Working Group under the auspices of the national Department for Transport. The ETA joins the Safer Streets Coalition. We join with other European organisations for In Town Without My Car day on 22 September 2000
2001
The British government finally signs up to the Car Free Day pledge. We join the then national Department of Trade and Industry’s Automotive Industry Innovation and Growth Team
2003
The ETA responds to the national parliament’s transport committee’s Car of the Future inquiry. We are invited to join the national Department for Transport’s Cycling Forum for England. The ETA is invited to join the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership
2004
The Going Green e-zine is published
2005
The ETA joins the UK Traffic Noise Group to ensure traffic noise, of whatever source, is reduced across the country. All services provided by the ETA are climate neutral
2006
The ETA joins the national All-Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group. The first annual Car Buyers Guide awards ceremony is held
2008
We launch on-line news service – 1,000 articles published to date. The ETA joins the parliamentary Cycle Policy Action Group
2009
More than 1,000 cities in 40 countries take part in World Carfree Day, an event first organised in Britain by the Environmental Transport Association. We are invited to join the Department for Transport’s Motorcycle Forum. The ETA is named car Breakdown Company of the Year. We tour a series of events to promote cycling to over 15,000 people. Councils around Britain take part in Green Transport Week – we distribute thousands of leaflets to promote cycling, eco driving and greener travel
Information correct at time of publication.
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