National campaign promotes public transit as a solution to smog forming
emissions from old cars

TORONTO, Feb. 19 /CNW/ - "Trade in your old car and choose public transit, the eco-friendly alternative," encourages Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) Chair Charles Stolte. "Our new awareness campaign links clean air, public transit and Canada's Vehicle Scrappage Program, Retire Your Ride." The CUTA campaign will be seen on transit systems in at least 65 communities across Canada.

The Retire Your Ride program offers incentive rewards to Canadians who retire their 1995 or older model vehicles. These older vehicles are 19 times more polluting than 2004 and newer model years. The choice and value of the rewards varies from province to province, and starts at $300 cash. To see what is available in your area visit the web site: www.retireyourride.ca

"Currently, free monthly bus passes are a reward option in twenty-nine communities," says CUTA President and CEO Michael Roschlau, "and the list of communities is growing. Where not offered, you can simply purchase transit passes via the cash reward option." All CUTA members share the clean air goals of Retire Your Ride and are committed to providing safe, economical and environmentally friendly transit to Canadians.

The Government of Canada has committed $92 million over four years to the Retire Your Ride program to help Canadians recycle their older, higher polluting vehicles and make sustainable transportation choices, leading to reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Retire Your Ride is funded by the Government of Canada and is delivered in all ten provinces by Summerhill Impact, formerly the Clean Air Foundation, through a network of not-for-profit organizations. In 2009, more than 55,000 vehicles were registered under the Retire Your Ride program.

To view the transit pass rewards available through your Retire Your Ride, visit: http://www.cutaactu.ca/en/retire_your_ride_public_transit_campaign

For more information on Retire Your Ride, please visit http://www.retireyourride.ca/

CUTA is the national association representing public transit systems, suppliers to the industry, government agencies, individuals and related organizations in Canada.

(Également disponible en français)

For further information: Maureen Shuell, Director of Communications, [phone] ext. 105 (office), www.cutaactu.ca