A COMPETITION is encouraging residents to ditch their car for 24 hours.

During Car Free Day on Friday, September 22, everyone is asked by Halton Borough Council to walk, cycle, take the bus or train or car-share.

Every person from Halton who pledges in advance that they will travel without their car will be entered into a draw to win an MP3 player.

The first 10 people to register in the competition will all receive transport-related goodies and the winning entry will be picked by Halton's Mayor, John Swain, who plans to support the event by using the bus for all his journeys.

The event has been organised by the council's mobility management team and will run alongside this year's European Mobility Week, starting on Monday, September 18.

Statistics show 80% of cars travelling over the Silver Jubilee Bridge have only one occupant each, despite the fact that sharing the price of a daily 20-mile trip could save both people £843 a year.

Most car journeys in the area are for short trips only, with some 58% of people driving less than five miles and 25% less than two miles.

The council says these same trips could be made in half an hour by bicycle or foot respectively - and this would cut the risk of heart disease by up to 50%.

European Mobility Week will also see the launch of the council's staff travel plan, On The Move, which will introduce such measures as a car share database.

Completed entries can be posted to The Mobility Management Team, Transport Co-ordination, Second Floor, Rutland House, Halton Lea, Runcorn WA7 2GW.