Commuter Challenge

James is trying some more unusual methods of getting from A to B.

His list includes: cycling, walking, electric car, heelies (trainers with wheels), segway (a kind of electric scooter) and powerisers (stilts with springs)!

You can follow James's progress each weekday on BBC Radio Derby - listen to Andy Whittaker's Breakfast Show for regular updates (use the link on the right) and see more on BBC East Midlands Today each evening from 6.30 pm.

Day 2 – Hybrid Car

Journey Time: 15mins 30secs (based on front door to office) | Approximate Return Journey Cost: £3 - £3.50 including parking (based on 10,000 miles a year, includes depreciation, insurance, tax, maintenance etc)

Another cold, but slightly less damp morning. This was always going to be one of the easiest mornings of the challenge. In many ways there is no compromise from all the advantages of a normal car, but with a couple less disadvantages. The Prius has very low Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and can be put into a zero emission mode whilst in traffic.

It wasn’t immediately obvious how to drive the Prius! There was no key, just a fob, and a start button, which did the job of an On-Off switch! There was also no handbrake or gearstick! Instead was a footbrake, and a switch. To add to the space age feel, I was told that when you move the steering wheel, instead of turning the wheels, it tells a computer that you want the wheels to turn, and then the computer moves the wheels – no mechanical link – like an aeroplane! The same applies to the brakes, so this was really going to be putting my faith in technology!

So off I went. As I pulled away the windscreen steamed up, and after a moment of concern, at the total lack of heater controls, I realised that there was a touch screen that did this job (as well as many other jobs!). The traffic jam that normally snakes way past my house was conspicuous by it’s absence (I’m told it’s half term!), so progress was quite easy. I decided to drive into the City Centre and back out up Kedleston Road. At times the traffic slowed me down on Mansfield Road, and I joined a queue on St.Mary’s Bridge at the roadworks for the bridge under the ring road. It was quite satisfying to crawl along and stop in electric mode, knowing that the car was not emitting anything whatsoever!

I made my way around Five Lamps, still surprised that the traffic was flowing quite well, and continued up to the University. I then had to negotiate the speed ramps and fortunately there was still plenty of space in the car park. However, the car park is not near my office, so I still had over a 2 minute walk to get there.

So all in all, this initially seemed like the ‘easy’ option, but in practice it took longer on the day than cycling. Also on a week by week basis, things like re-fuelling and cleaning the car would indirectly add to the time taken. However, a Prius, particularly if you Car-Share, would be a very environmentally viable and practical alternative to a normal car, especially for those people on longer journeys – if they can put up with the delays! – and if you can afford one!! It’s not a total answer, but it’s a step in the right direction, and with constantly improving technology, will only get better.