THIS Wednesday is Car Free Day and a reminder that we all use our cars too much.

Car travel is a wonderful thing and the Mini Car Plant is vital for jobs in Oxford. But motor vehicles can also be bad for our health and contribute to damaging climate change.

In Oxford we lead the way with free park-and-ride. Half of all commuters in the city already take the bus, and lots of us cycle, walk and go by train.

There are car clubs and lots of people don’t own a car. But we need to do even more.

So a big thank you to the Civic Society and everyone else organising a weekend street party. Street parties are a fun and community way of showing that streets are for people and not just for traffic and parked cars.

I’m thrilled that the city and county councils are working together to encourage their staff, and everyone else, to use their cars less, on Car Free Day, and throughout the year.

I challenge every Oxford Mail reader to try to do without their car on Wednesday. The prize is a cleaner, greener Oxford.

John Tanner, Board Member for a Cleaner, Greener Oxford, Oxford city and Oxfordshire county councillor