It is almost time for people who live, work and go to school in Maidstone to take part in the second Maidstone Goes Green Week.

The week features themed events each day, promoting travel into town by any method other than the car.

It culminates on Friday, September 19, with the In Town Without My Car day, and people taking part can get a free breakfast in the town centre.

And this week's Kent Messenger includes free Park and Ride vouchers to make the journey even easier

Figures from Maidstone’s Traffic Management Centre show the highest number of cars entering and leaving Maidstone on a week day is 82,000.

Jacqui Elliott, Kent County Council’s travel planner, who cycles to work, says the challenge is achievable with a bit of planning.

She has never used a car for work journeys, instead cycling from her home in Bearsted, through Mote Park and the town centre to get to County Hall.

Mrs Elliott said: “I’m a busy mother of three and I find the cycling is a good way of getting exercise on the way to work and it is my 'me time’.

“I do need to work out what clothes I need with me for work and I have wet-weather gear for cycling in the rain.

“By planning your route on the bus or making sure you have the correct cycling gear, it’s not too difficult.

“We just hope that the week will encourage people to try something different and make it part of their longer-term routine. People can think it is going to be really hard going without the car but many find they quite enjoy it.”

Maidstone is the first town to pilot the scheme and the results of the week will be monitored by the Maidstone Traffic Management Centre.

Mrs Elliott added that more work needed to be done to improve Maidstone’s cycle paths.

She added: “There are gaps in the network and KCC has now appointed a cycling officer to establish where these exist.”

See website for more details...