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Online solution is an ideal A-Z for asthmatics
ONLINE route planners have been a godsend for motorists and their long-suffering map readers since they emerged around five years ago.
What with satellite navigation, the road map is an endangered species, destined for a lifetime collecting dust on the back seat. Now it is pedestrians who are casting a shadow over the A-Z, with the launch of a new route planner especially for walkers. The aptly named Walkit.com enables people to map out “fresh air walking routes” so they can avoid busy roads and harmful fumes in central London.
It has been hailed as a lifesaver for asthmatics, for whom walking around the West End can be a dangerous expericene. New figures reveal around 1,000 to 1,500 Londoners die every year from air pollution.
The site was the brainchild of the Central London Air Quality Cluster Group, which includes pollution experts from Westminster Council on its advisory panel.
Users type in their departure point and destination and the site generates a map complete with estimated walking time, the number of calories burned and the amount of CO2 emissions avoided – broken down into cars, taxis and buses.
Council director of environment and leisure Dr Leith Penny said: “Westminster has some of the highest pollution levels in the UK and a daytime population of a million, who are all exposed to high levels of contaminated air. The project provides a great opportunity for people to get alternative routes that will minimise their exposure to dangerous fumes, bettering their overall quality of life and improving the environment in central London.”
The website helped boost the council’s air quality strategy |
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