Southwark Council is ‘paying’ residents to walk, cycle and run with its new BetterPoints app.
Residents who opt for sustainable modes of travel, including public transport, can collect points and spend them at local businesses or donate them to charity.
The new app is part of Southwark Council’s ‘Streets for People’ initiative which could also see parking spaces become mini-parks.
Parking spaces could be turned into miniature parks under Southwark Council plans
Councillor James McAsh, Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency, Clean Air and Streets, said: “This is a great new app that will incentivise us all to walk, cycle or use public transport more.
“It’s just one of a number of things we’re doing through our ambitious Streets for People strategy which sets out how we will make Southwark a clean, green and safe borough.”
The app, which works by automatically tracking users’ journeys, has already been used in other UK cities.
In Brighton, it reportedly encouraged users to replace 622,000 car trips, saving 392 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions
Anyone who signs up before the end of August can opt into the draw to win a folding electric bike or £100. There are also daily prize draws in July to win extra points.
In March, the council launched an online app allowing residents to report graffiti, potholes and fly-tipping.
Southwark Council hasn’t decided which local businesses will participate yet and has asked local retailers to contact dave.ebbrell@betterpoints.uk to get involved.
You can download the app at www.southwark.betterpoints.uk