TORONTO, Ontario (BRAIN)—The Bicycle Trade Association of Canada announces its support of a new nationwide vehicle scrappage program to be headed by the Clean Air Foundation.
The Clean Air Foundation will partner with existing local scrappage programs to help Canadians get old, high-polluting vehicles off the road and replace them with sustainable transportation such as bicycles.
BTAC is evaluating a number of opportunities with its members – bicycle manufacturers, products suppliers, and retailers - to support the Clean Air Foundation and enhance the program.
“Anything that gets Canadians thinking about cleaner and healthier forms of transportation is terrific,” said Janet O’Connell, executive director of BTAC. “The bicycle is by far the most efficient and healthy means to travel in urban areas. Riding as transportation reduces smog, eases congestion and improves health and fitness – it’s a triple win. With the right incentives and education we are confident that this program will get more Canadians on bicycles more often.”
Clean Air Foundation’s Car Heaven program, which began as an Ontario-based initiative in 2000, has already retired more than 77,000 high polluting, older vehicles across Canada.
Last year, the Car Heaven program retired more than 25,000 vehicles, preventing the release of 1,300 tons of smog-forming pollutants, and more than 13,000 tons of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.
Currently, Car Heaven offers bicycle incentives through some retailers in Alberta.
“We are looking forward to working closely with BTAC to expand these incentives nationwide to get more Canadians out of their old cars and onto bicycles,” said Ersilia Serafini, executive director of the Clean Air Foundation.
The new national vehicle scrappage program launchs in January 2009.
