Workplace Travel Plan
Workplace Travel Plans help you manage your transport needs and issues by improving staff and visitor travel options in an environmentally-friendly and convenient way.
Over reliance on the car is costly as roads become more congested and demand for car parking space grows all the time. Encouraging workers to take the bus, cycle or car share saves money, makes them healthier and improves your environmental credentials. With unpredictable fuel costs now is the time to get a travel plan in place. It is sensible resource management.
Benefits to your business: A Workplace Travel Plan can help · Free up parking spaces · Reduce congestion and improve access to your workplace for staff and customers · Reduce car mileage claims · Make a healthier, happier and more productive workforce · Assist in recruitment and retention of staff · Improve your image within the local community · Introduce forward planning in transport issues · Support planning applications to expand or relocate your premises
Benefits to your staff
- Makes travel to the workplace easier
- Saves money
- Improves health and fitness levels
Benefits to the community
- Reduces local road congestion and parking problems
- Reduces noise and air pollution
- Improves quality of life
- Helps people move around more safely
What makes an effective Workplace Travel Plan?
Workplace Travel Plans will vary between businesses depending on the size of the workforce; the existing facilities and the particular business circumstances. The main elements that will ensure a successful travel plan are:
Support from senior management to commit the resources to develop and implement a package of measures that will encourage a change in travel behaviour
Establishing a picture of travel behaviour and problems by consulting staff through focus groups and questionnaires
- Action Planning & Promotions
Appropriate measures designed to reduce over dependence on the car
Annual assessment of Travel Plan progress and success. What will I have to do?
- Nominate a Travel Plan Co-ordinator who will liaise with the Council
- Carry out annual staff travel survey and review
- Carry out a transport audit to establish strengths and weaknesses
- Promote sustainable travel and its benefits to staff by:
- Making transport information available on site
- Providing cycle parking and, if possible, showers, lockers and a drying room.
- Encouraging car sharing amongst colleagues by developing a car share buddy database
- Liaising with the Council and local transport operators to improve the travel options to your premises
Help from the Council
- Blackpool’s status as a Cycling Town has made funding available to provide cycle facilities grants based on a matched funding basis.
- There is a Travel Planning CD ROM offering step by step guidance available which is free for organisations in Blackpool.
- A Travel Plan Partnership meets quarterly offering a network for employers to share best practice.
For further information contact a Travel Plan Officer on 01253 476330 or email travel.plans@blackpool.gov.uk.
Links www.blackpoolunlimited.com/ - further workplace travel plan info
www.traveline.org.uk – Public transport journey planner
www.sharedwheels.co.uk – Car sharing website