By all accounts, Government's Burn Fat Not Fuel Day on Friday had mixed results.

Quite a few people took part, but there was no noticeable decrease in road traffic or parking, at least in Hamilton.

That should not be taken as defeat. Health Minister Nelson Bascome said yesterday, that the event was first about raising awareness, and one would hope it succeeded in that. This was also the first time the programme was tried, and it must be said that Fridays probably not the best day for an effort like this, since people tend to have plans on Friday evenings for which the public transport system is poorly suited.

The same problem, however, applies generally to public transport, free or not. If buses and ferries do not run frequently or late enough, then people are not going to abandon their cars and bikes in the morning when they do not have a certain way of getting home in the evening.

Making this initiative work requires two things. One is to make it a regular occurrence – perhaps once a month. The other is to to do it on a working day other than a Friday.

The "younger" politicians who took part in this event deserve praise. But one wonders what their more senior colleagues were doing, since Government did not say in the build-up to the event. While walking from Warwick or Smith's Parish may be too much to ask, anyone can take a bus or ferry.

This newspaper also looks forward to hearing from Works Minister Derrick Burgess on his review of the Government vehicle fleet. There would be no better example to set to the general public than for Ministers who really don't need their GP cars to give them up, and for the Premier to make do with just one, instead of the cavalcade he seems to require now.