Workplace Travel Plans

What is a travel plan?

With increasing congestion on the roads and growing concerns about the environment the main aim of a travel plan is to reduce our reliance on single occupancy car travel. A travel plan does this by providing employees with alternatives to the car.

Typically the travel plan will include measures such as advice on walking and cycle routes, cycle parking provision, public transport options, how to set up a car sharing scheme and ways to encourage people to work from home.

Why should my organisation implement a travel plan?

There are a number of good reasons to implement a travel plan. For example, your organisation may be required to produce a travel plan as part of a planning application or Section 106 agreement.

It might be that your site suffers with accessibility problems or limited car parking space. Alternatively, your organisation may want to improve its environmental image or go one step further and develop an environmental policy.

Even if you run a small business, with only a few employees, developing a travel plan is still a valuable and worthwhile exercise.

What are the benefits?

A travel plan can bring a number of benefits to your organisation as an employer, to staff and to the local community and environment:

• your organisation can benefit from increased productivity generated by a healthier, more productive workforce;
• in addition to improved health, staff can benefit from reduced travel costs and less time spent travelling to work;
• car parking and expenditure on company cars can be reduced;
• the environment benefits from the reduced impact of cars and their associated emissions; and
• the local community can enjoy less congestion and improved public transport.

What type of measures should be included?

The most successful travel plans are those which include a combination of measures – a range of alternatives allow people to ‘pick and mix’ according to what suits their own day-to-day requirements and lifestyle.

A staff travel survey will help identify measures that your employees are most supportive of. Examples of measures and schemes which can be implemented, together with contact details of scheme operators, are detailed in the attachment. (Available to download)

What is a Staff Travel Survey?

Before you can implement your travel plan, it’s necessary to gain an understanding of existing travel patterns within your organisation. This is done through a short and simple staff questionnaire, which will identify important factors such as:

• existing transport links and facilities to your site;
• the amount of staff travel generated;
• how staff travel to and from work; and
• staff attitudes to various transport options

Where can I go for travel plan advice and information?

Useful websites containing travel plan examples are detailed in the attachment. For further information contact us using the details below.