Anyone who lives, works or studies in Hull can download the app and start earning points every time they walk, cycle or take public transport locally
Cllr Mark leronimo is backing the BetterPoints healthy living BetterPoints app(Image: Hull City Council)
A high-tech new app from Hull City Council will track travel choices, encouraging people to walk, cycle and use public transport. Healthy choices will be rewarded with high street shopping vouchers, in a first for Hull.
It is free to download and works by enabling people to earn daily points for travelling by more active and sustainable means. Alongside the regular shopping voucher rewards, the app will let people make charitable donations and even win regular prizes such as a European city break.
The BetterPoints app has previously been trialled with Hull City Council staff and following this successful trial it is now being launched to the general public. The initiative is costing approximately £38,000, which has been funded through Active Travel England.
Anyone who lives, works or studies in Hull can download the app and start earning points every time they walk, cycle or take public transport locally. Points act as a digital currency within the app which can be redeemed for vouchers at high street shops, local independent businesses and online retailers.
The Deep have already signed up as one of the local organisations alongside Looby Lou’s, the street food stall in Trinity Market. The council is hoping to work with independent shops around Hull and is currently in talks with Trinity Market and its traders to connect further locally-owned businesses to the system.
Costa, Tesco and Amazon are among the huge businesses Hull residents can spend their points with. Alternatively, the healthy living points can be donated to a list of charities, including Marie Curie, the RNLI or Dogs Trust, as well as local charities such as WISHH, and the Health Tree Foundation.
Council staff hope to encourage people to become more active and to consider healthier travel choices. The app is focused on health and wellbeing for people in Hull, and the authority also believes it will help to reduce noise pollution and carbon emissions.
Cllr Mark Ieronimo (Liberal Democrat – Pickering ward), cabinet portfolio holder for transport and infrastructure, praised the accessibility of the app’s mission and said even small steps would win prizes and rewards. He said: “BetterPoints is a really simple idea – you can earn rewards or support charities just by walking, cycling or using public transport whether that be for work, leisure or for trips locally. Even changing one journey a week will earn you points.”
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The BetterPoints app is tried and tested technology, according to Jack Windle, chief sustainable transport officer at BetterPoints. He explained Hull City Council was a great authority to be working with because of its commitment to active travel and said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Hull City Council, who have already made great strides in their goal of reducing single-occupancy car journeys and encouraging greener and healthier travel habits. We look forward to rewarding Hull residents for making different travel choices and seeing the positive effect this has on the city.”
The public launch of BetterPoints Hull coincides with Modeshift Month, a UK-wide, month-long campaign promoting sustainable travel, and Catch The Bus Month. The BetterPoints app is available on both Android and Apple app stores.
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