Introduction
The choice of the means of transport by which students arrive at ETSII is very varied, although there are some means that are repeated more than others. From the sustainability committee we have decided to carry out a study based on the students of the school where nine classes have been chosen at random. The survey was filled out by 279 students from the different grades studied at the school.
This article will reflect the results and give some advice on how to pollute as little as possible.
Most common means
The most repeated means of transportation among the student votes were bus, walking and car with 114, 64 and 57 votes respectively. It makes sense that these means are the most used because the school has a very good combination of buses that allow the Reina Mercedes campus to have a very high number of buses, a good connection with the rest of the city and it is a means of transport very used by young people who have discounts when traveling. Regarding the car, it is the fastest means of transportation since it is available at any time without having to wait for it to arrive, as is the case with the bus or train.
In addition, the ETSII has numerous parking lots that most days have to hang the full sign. This makes us see that it is very common that this means of transport is used. And for those who live closer there is the most sustainable option of all, which is walking or cycling.
Less usual means
The least chosen means of transport to come to school are train, bike, scooter, motorcycle and electric car with 22, 14, 4, 3 and 1 persons respectively. Minus the train and electric car, the other three are largely conditional on the weather as, while they are equally viable, they are much less convenient, so this is a major reason why they may not be people’s top choices. In addition, there are not always suitable places to leave such vehicles safely. On the other hand, the train is a great option for those with commuter connections from nearby towns.
Finally, the electric car seems to be lagging behind. While the popularity of the electric car has been growing over the last few years, its market share is still small, so while they are not currently a popular medium, we can expect their use to grow over time, being very convenient vehicles for short-distance urban or intercity commuting.
Importance of car sharing
As we have seen above, one of the most common means of transportation is the car. From our committee we feel the obligation to show the importance of sharing this journey with as many people as possible. According to experts in the field, as reflected by msn.com, in a 100 kilometer journey the footprint of a single person in the car would be 25 kg of CO2; if that journey is made by train or carpooling, the footprint would be 5 kg per passenger. According to data from an EEA study, a car with only 3 people would pollute less than two people traveling on a motorcycle from the same point, so sharing this means of transport with a large number of friends is an activity that can greatly alleviate our carbon footprint.
Conclusion
In summary, the results of this study show a significant preference for the use of the bus, walking and the car as the main means of transportation to the ETSII, with the bus standing out for its convenience and accessibility. However, the use of the car poses a challenge in terms of sustainability, which is why it is essential to promote practices such as carpooling to reduce the carbon footprint among students. In turn, although options such as bicycles, scooters and electric cars are less popular due to factors such as climate and infrastructure, their implementation in student mobility could be enhanced by improvements in these aspects. In conclusion, encouraging more sustainable transportation options not only benefits the environment, but also reinforces the student community’s commitment to the environment.
