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Background

For the last twenty years or so, the car has been by far the most dominant mode of transport in the UK. Therefore, many businesses and organisations have made provision for this by providing car parking space. However most are now realising that demand will exceed supply, so something has to be done about reliance on the car. Organisation Travel Plans aim to address this issue.

A travel plan is a general term for a package of measures tailored to the needs of individual sites and organisations, and aimed at promoting greener, cleaner travel choices and reducing reliance on the car.

Typically, it will aim to encourage staff, and visitors, to use more environmentally friendly alternatives than driving to work, and parking, alone. Travel Plans contain a mixture of incentives and dis-incentives. The measures may even result in a drastic re-organisation of a company's activities, as outlined below. Each organisation will have a unique travel plan as the needs of the business will be different. For example, a large retailer's depot which has a large amount of HGV traffic and where the workforce all live locally, will be different to the travel plan produced by the national headquarters of a high-tech electronics company where most employees live further away.

Travel Plans are a continuous program, and need to be re-considered periodically as the needs of a particular organisation change.

Elements Covered By Travel Plans

• Commuter journeys
• Business travel undertaken by employees
• Visitors and guests
• Deliveries
• Fleet vehicles operating as part of organisation

 Question...?

Consider the university as an 'organisation'. Can you think of examples to which the above categories apply?

Benefits to organisations producing Travel Plans

• Organisations can benefit from increased productivity generated by a healthier, more motivated workforce, cost savings and improved access
• Staff benefit from improved health, cost and time savings and reduced stress
• The local community can enjoy reduced congestion, improved public transport services and energy savings
• The Environment benefits from improved air quality and reduced pollution

Possible Measures to Include in a Travel Plan

• Providing public transport information in the workplace
• Public transport discount from bus or rail company – provides cheaper services and also widens labour pool
• Public transport subsidy from company – e.g. Boots and Nottingham City Transport

• Encourage use of rail for business travel
• Alter terms and conditions for employees
• Teleworking/telecommuting/working from home
• Teleconferencing to reduce need for business travel
• Changing company car policy – providing more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient models
• Parking controls and restrictions
• Pay staff to give up parking space
• Provide cycle parking, lockers and showers
• Interest-free loans and/or discounts for purchase of bicycles
• Car sharing
• Provide on-site facilities e.g. shop, chemist, newsagent
• Promote walking and cycling initiatives

It is important to remember that these measures should be considered as a package, to provide the correct balance of 'carrots and sticks'.

For further information

• Travel Plans section on DfT website
• DfT Travel Plans background document
• Association for Commuter Transport (ACT) - substantial documents database
• Travel plans (on TravelWise website)
• A Travel Plan Resources Pack for Employers
• Making Travel Plans Work: Research Report - July 2002
• DfT guidance on school travel
• Making Personal Travel Planning Work: Research Report - Oct 2007

In this topic...

	topic overview
	introduction
	the 'car culture' - a brief synopsis
	carrots
	sticks
	road-user charging
	organisation travel plans
	exam-style questions

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Transport Issues

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