Press Watch: Pedal power is key to turn city green

He said: "Walking is good if you want a relaxed journey to work. I generally find if I walk to work I feel more active when I get here.

"The thought of reducing congestion and improving air quality is a great incentive and lots of health studies show regular exercise each day can help with weight loss and improve the condition of your heart."

The council this year launched a travel plan to promote sustainable modes of transport for council employees.

He said: "We are offering adult cycling lessons to staff, things such as where to position yourself on the road and the consideration of pedestrians, but it's a real push to get people to use alternative modes of transport to work."

Commuters to London also add to the traffic in and around Cambridge but, looking at the cycles around the station in the morning it's clear many of them start the day the green way.

James Woodburn sympathises with the commuters who travel from Cambridge to London and back every day and endure some of the country's most overcrowded rail conditions.

For 30 years the former academic made the journey himself to work at the London School of Economics.

Instead of using a bus or car to the station, or the Underground in London, he used his trusty bicycle at either end of the rail journey.

Mr Woodburn, a member of Cambridge Cycling Campaign, said: "I recommend using a bike to anyone going to and from work in Cambridge and commuting on the train.

"There used to be guard's vans attached to the train which would accommodate lots of different items including bicycles, but putting all the items on then taking them off at another station would slow down the trains and take far too long.

"Now, of course, it is absolutely right that non-folding bicycles should be banned on peak trains.

Otherwise it leads to even further discomfort in carriages.

"Generally though, cycling is an invigorating way to start your day and get to work. I would thoroughly recommend it.

"It's a huge advantage to be able to cycle in London, as in Cambridge, because the journey time is totally predictable.

"If you travel by train, bus or car, there are lots of factors which could result in delay.

"More than a quarter of people who work in Cambridge cycle to work, it is by far the highest figure for any place in the UK."

He also believes cycling to work actually makes life easier for motorists.

"Think about it, what would the congestion be like if cyclists chose to drive to work?

"What I find it difficult to understand is why motorists are hostile to cyclists. We are, in effect, making roads emptier for them to use."

He does own a car and uses it on what he calls the "load-carrying journeys".

Craig Barker has a novel take on how to make huge savings on his petrol bill - he drives his tuk-tuk from his home in Swavesey to work in Milton.

He bought the three-wheeler, a more familiar sight in Asian cities than in Cambridge, in India and a £5 tank of petrol can last up to 100 miles.

The Park and Ride service goes from strength to strength each year as more people leave their cars at the edge of the city and journey to the centre by bus.

Although no figures are available highlighting how many people use this system solely for work, general figures released recently by Cambridgeshire County Council show that between May 2007 and May 2008, user numbers for the service jumped by 350,693 trips to 3,734,713 - a 10 per cent increase.

Driving is still popular but the Cambridgeshire Travel for Work Partnership is trying to minimise its impact - one of its most recent initiatives is a car-sharing website.

Members of the public can sign up for free on www.camshare.co.ukand find others who are travelling the same route.

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