travelwise artwork PDFp2infohouse.org/ref/24/23922.pdf · TravelWise and the ways in which thinking...

Travellingtowards excellence

Developing a travel planfor your company

Car Sharing Schemes 4 - 6

Car Parking Management 7 - 9

Green Driving 10 - 12

Cycling to work 13 - 16

Walking to work 17 - 19

Passenger Transport 20 - 22

Technology for Business Journeys 23 - 25

Telework 26 - 28

Flexible Working Hours 29 - 30

Green Travel Plans 31 - 36

General Information 37 - 38

CONTENTS

In the next twenty years traffic on Hertfordshire’s roads is predicted to grow by more thana third. Against that background the challenge facing businesses in Hertfordshire is toremain accessible to customers, suppliers and staff while managing transport effectively inthe most commercially viable way.

But the way we depend on road transport at present has a price. That price is the cost ofbeing delayed for a meeting, of staff stuck in traffic, of paying excessive car expenses orgiving land over to car parking. It is also a price paid in poorer health and damage to theenvironment.

This guide aims to show you why and how your company should become BusinessTravelWise and the ways in which thinking strategically can help to reduce these costs.Information is included about other forms of transport as well as ways of reducing thenumber of journeys. In this edition we also look at how to develop the Green Travel Planthat will be right for your company and could form part of your company’s environmentalstrategy.

❛❛ In business we rely on good transport links. That’s why we need to get the best from ourroad network. By choosing alternatives to the car, businesses can actually benefit in avariety of ways. I urge you to read these guidelines and discover how your business canbecome a Business TravelWise business.❜❜

Roy Walton - Chairman, Transport CommitteeHertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Dear Colleague,

On behalf of Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and

Industry, we are pleased to introduce the second edition of the Business TravelWise guidelines.

It is surprising to see how much has changed since the first edition came out three years ago.

At that time the debate on the role of business in wider transport issues was just beginning.

Now there is an ongoing public debate about transport and traffic and the effects of these on

business.

This second edition is now built upon our experiences of the last three years during which

time we have been talking to and working with a wide variety of businesses in Hertfordshire.

We have included some new sections to look at the issues that you have raised and to focus

on some of the developments in transport management. These include green driving and car

park management.

We have included examples from large and small companies. They have developed a variety

of initiatives in relation to their type of work, location and culture. There are also a number of

places where smaller companies have joined together on industrial estates or business parks,

or within a town centre to develop measures that can benefit from a larger scale of operation.

Many businesses have started looking at transport issues and have already implemented some

measures to change or reduce use of cars for journeys to and at work. We have included

these local examples of good practice to show some of the measures that Hertfordshire

companies have used.

Importantly, we are firmly advocating the development of Green Travel Plans.

These plans can offer benefits for staff, the company and the environment as well as savings

from parking and company car provision which can far outweigh the cost of their

implementation. The guide shows how they can be good for business and result in increased

productivity.

We therefore hope that transport issues and Green Travel Plans will increasingly be recognised

as an essential part of a company’s business policy and strategy and as part of overall business

accounting, rather than just an estate or facilities cost.

The last three years have been very much a positive voyage of discovery. We are as interested

as you may be to find out what the next three years will bring.

Charlie Watson Tim HutchingsDirector of Environment HCCI Chief Executive

INTRODUCTION

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3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABB Automation Ltd

Arriva The Shires Ltd

Atlas Copco Compressors

Baltimore Technology Ltd

Bickerton Group plc

Bromwall Ltd

Bushey Engineering Co Ltd

D Furnell Plant Services Ltd

Du Pont (UK) Ltd

Entec

Epson (UK) Ltd

FI Group plc

Fraser Russell Chartered Accountants

Glaxo Wellcome Medicines Research Centre

Glaxo Wellcome Research and Development

Golden West Foods Ltd

Hertfordshire TEC

Hillside Studios

Hunting Gate Group plc

IFR Ltd

Kodak Ltd

Mastercare Services Ltd (ICL)

Matra Marconi Space Systems (UK) Ltd

Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V.

Mouchel TSC

Nexus Special Interests Ltd

Oaklands College

Queen Elizabeth II Hospital

Sovereign Bus & Coach Co Ltd

University of Hertfordshire

West Herts College

Xerox Ltd

The authors acknowledge the assistance of many organisations and individuals who haveshared their experiences and concerns about transport and sustainability issues.

Particular thanks go to the Associates of Business TravelWise in Hertfordshire:

and to our colleagues in Hertfordshire County Council, Hertfordshire Chamber ofCommerce and Industry and the district councils in Hertfordshire.

© Copyright Hertfordshire County Council 1999

Published by:

Hertfordshire County CouncilTransport Planning and PolicyEnvironment DepartmentCounty Hall, Pegs LaneHERTFORD Herts SG13 8DNTel: 01992 556119

ISBN 0 903538 37 7

E Car sharing is most successful wherecommuter journeys are more than 10 miles.These can show a real saving for thesharers.

E It tends to appeal more to those companieswith a high proportion of their stafftravelling to work by car.

E It is most likely to work where hours areconsistent and large numbers of staff live in

the same areas or travel along the samecorridors.

E It is appealing to staff as it guarantees doorto door travel. It also means that thosereluctant to give up their car completely canreach a compromise.

E It leaves flexibility for planning activities oncertain days of the week, for example,shopping on the way home from work.

OTHER BENEFITS

FOR EMPLOYER FOR STAFF FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

less on-site parking needed reduced cost of journeyto work

reduction in land neededfor car parking

more spaces for customers less congestion on the roads -quicker journey to work less congestion

less stressed staff more relaxed and safer driving less pollution

more productive staff can free up family car for other uses less noise

company and staffbenefit financially

lower car running costs ifalternating drivers

improved senseof community

BENEFITS

Car SharingSchemes

Car sharing is when two or more peopletravel to work together instead of inseparate cars. They may pool their cars andalternate between them, or regularly use asingle vehicle and contribute to the costs.It can be on a regular or occasional basis.

If everybody who drives to work on theirown in Hertfordshire car shared on justone day a week, traffic levels all yearround would be down to thoseexperienced during the school holidays.

Car sharing does not exclude people whowould otherwise have travelled towork by passenger transport, walkingor cycling, but is really aimed at gettingvehicles off the road by increasing vehicleoccupancy.

Car sharing may also be used for journeysto meetings or conferences and this willbe dealt with further in the section onTechnology for Business Journeys. The term ‘car sharing’ also describes sometypes of pooling or co-ownership schemes.

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QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE ASKED

What if I don’t want to share every day?Car sharing can be flexible. Joining a car sharescheme does not commit you to car sharing allthe time. If everyone shared once a week, wewould all notice a big difference in traffic levelson Hertfordshire's roads.

What happens if I need to get homeduring the day, or my driver is calledaway?Many companies with car sharing schemesnow guarantee car sharers a lift home if thearrangement breaks down during the day.They may undertake to find another lift, or payfor a taxi home. The companies that operatethis system note that it is very rarely, if ever,needed, but is an important factor in theacceptability of car sharing schemes.

What if I need to go out during the day?Many people know when they will haveoutside meetings and can arrangetheir diaries accordingly. After all,we can all be flexible if thecar is in for repair. If you useyour car a lot you may wantto share with someone whouses their car very littleduring the day. Flexibility isthe key.

What if I want to go shopping on myway home?Many people will know a day or twobeforehand when they want to go shopping,and be able to arrange their car sharing in thesame way as for work meetings.

What if I am expected to bring mycompany car in to work every day?The company car driver can become the maincar share driver. Or an agreement can bereached that company cars need only bebrought in on a proportion of days.

Is car sharing allowed by law?The full position is given in the Road Traffic Act1988. In brief, this says that there should be nomore than eight people to a private vehicle if itis used for car sharing and the scheme shouldnot generate a profit.

What is the insuranceposition?In general, car sharingshould not affectinsurance. It is advisableto inform the insurancecompany that a driveris registered with the

scheme, but this should notincur additional costs.

HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT?

E Have a named car sharing co-ordinatorwith responsibility for running the schemeand available to help with problems.

E Match car sharers through a computerdatabase or by a manual system. HCCIoperates a matching database for use bycompanies in Hertfordshire. This can beparticularly useful where there are anumber of smaller companies in an areaor on a business park, as the larger poolof sharers can increase the choices andreduce the uncertainty about lifts forindividual staff.

E Publicise the scheme well. Run thepublicity at least once a year to make surethat the register is up to date and toencourage more people to join.

E Assign better positioned spaces in the carpark to car sharers.

E Hold a car sharers breakfast or coffee clubto kick the scheme off, or run a carsharing day to publicise a car sharingscheme.

E Let staff know that joining the scheme willnot commit them to car sharing all thetime.

E Include a guaranteed lift home servicewhere possible.

E Make some pool cars available for carsharers who need to go out during theday.

E Consider adding questions to theapplication form about whether peopleare prepared to travel with a smoker,someone of the opposite sex, whetherthey prefer to be a driver or passenger,and the route they use.

Herts. TEC are based inthe centre of St Albans,near the main railwaystation and bus routes.Space in the office carpark is at a premium, so acar sharing scheme hasbeen set up using adatabase. Sharers areasked to record theirshared journeys to workand can collect a bonusthrough the expensesclaim system. If they sharefor 8 days a month theyare given a bonus of £7.For tax purposes thisneeds to be declared andis taxed at standard rates.

There is a clear incentiveto staff and it benefits theemployer in costs savedon renting andmaintaining car parkingspaces.

CASE STUDY

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FURTHER INFORMATION

Organisations:Car sharing database - A softwarepackage has been developed byHertfordshire TravelWise and In-TouchComputer Services. Larger companies maywish to purchase the software from In-Touch. Contact Jim Hough, 69, Penn Way.Letchworth. Herts, SG6 2SH. Tel: 01462684726; fax: 01462 630709; email:[email protected]

National Car Share - A nationaldatabase which is available for businessesto join, www.nationalcarshare.co.uk

Hertfordshire Business database - HCCI administer a car sharing databasewhich is available on subscription. Contact Barbara Kelly on 01727 813749or [email protected]

Publications:“TravelWise Carshare - A Guide forEmployers” is available from HertfordshireTravelWise and gives more detailedinformation about car sharing schemes forcommuter journeys. Contact HertfordshireTravelWise on 01992 556119.

Will car sharing affect my tax position?The driver may charge for a share of the petrolcosts and a rate to cover ongoing standingcharges of the car but must not make a profit.

How much should I charge/ expect to pay?The Road Traffic Act 1988 allows acontribution to be made to the driver, but

states that the total sum received should notgenerate a profit. Individual sharers can decidebetween themselves how they wish to split thecost of a journey. In many cases the sharingarrangement will be simple, alternatingbetween different cars. However, it is quiteacceptable to charge per mile. The rates in the table below may be useful:

● These figures cover petrol engine cars only. Diesel vehicles up to 1800cc have a running cost of approximately 42.6p per mile.

They are based on 12,000 miles per annum1.

● The cost per mile should be divided by the number of people in the vehicle.

● These rates include costs relating to fuel, depreciation, servicing, etc. and may vary annually.

● Motorcycles must not be used for this scheme.

E £6,000 for the property cost of the spaceand up to £200 per year for maintenance ofa car parking space

E £150 p.a. saved by an employee sharing afive mile journey each way just once aweek.

IT COULD SAVE

E About two hours a week for theadministrator to manage the database andkeep it up to date, once a scheme in amedium to large company is up andrunning

E Regular publicity for the scheme willencourage new staff or the undecided tojoin.

Remember that company car share schemesneed to be registered on the Data ProtectionRegister.

IT COULD COST

Engine size: less than 1101- 1401 - 2001 - 3001 - 1100cc 1400cc 2000cc 3000cc 4500cc

Running cost per mile 26.7p 34.3p 42.8p 68.8p 85.8p

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1 “Motoring Costs 1999” - The AA

E Can free up space for visitors andcustomers.

E Can help to generate a Green Travel Plan.

E Can bring car use/car parking into thecompany’s strategic arena.

E Can provide financial support for a GreenTravel Plan.

OTHER BENEFITS


fewer car parking spacesneeded

encourages travel awarenessboth at home and at work

less space needed for carparking

releases funding to supportother transport initiatives

some alternatives can improvefitness and raise energy levels

less use of cars, with lowerpollution & congestion levels

clear demonstration ofcompany transport policy

more flexible transportbehaviour can be rewarded

more money may be availablefor other transport forms

BENEFITS

Car ParkingManagement

Encouraging the transfer of single personcar commuter journeys to other modes

of transport can be achieved byrestricting car park use. The restrictionsmay be by charging the individual ordepartment, allocating priority spaces tocertain staff, or by limiting car parkingaccess for some days.

This may be one of the most effectiveways of implementing a Green Travel Planbut may be difficult to introduce. It gives the opportunity to put travelmeasures into their environmental andstrategic context.

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How can we prevent staff from parkingin local streets?This needs to be considered as part of any planto restrict car park use to avoid creating anyroad safety hazards or ill-feeling from displacedparking in the local neighbourhood. Consider monitoring the parking on localstreets regularly at first and then occasionallyby checking parking badges. This should belinked into any area parking plans that arebeing developed by your local authority.

Why should everybody have to pay thesame?Consider a sliding scale of charges where thereis a wide range of functions and pay on a site.

Why should I subsidise people whowant to cycle or take the bus to work?Company car parking provision is expensiveboth to provide and to maintain andrepresents a significant financial benefit to thestaff that use it. Staff that have not been usingit have still been contributing and may nowhave some facilities of their own – facilities thatwill cost much less per user than car parkspaces.

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How do we know that the money willgo towards the travel policy?A visible construction programme ofimprovements, possibly including car parkimprovements such as lighting or security willdemonstrate willingness.

I need my car for work, why should Ihave to pay for parking?There may be some exceptions where stafftravel all the time, such as maintenanceworkers and sales representatives. In other cases, there are many people who donot need their cars every day and could carshare to meetings or start and finish at homeor at a local office once a week.

I cannot get to work any other way, sowhy should I have to pay the same assomeone who lives nearby?Travel to work is one of the things that peoplewill need to consider when deciding where tolive in relation to their workplace. For example, the availability of cars has addedmany commuters to the rural population inrecent years.


Priority spaces.E Allocate priority spaces to car sharers

when they travel together. These shouldbe some of the most accessible spacesand be clearly visible to other car parkusers. This may require some level of‘policing’.

E Make sure that priority spaces are close tocycle parking or enhanced pedestrian orpassenger transport facilities.

E Only allow car parking spaces for thosewho live more than a certain distancefrom the site. This has been donesuccessfully at a general hospital whereonly staff living more than a mile away areallowed to park on site.

E Remember to allocate spaces for visitorsand the mobility impaired.

Time restrictionsE Time restrictions on car parking may be

used to reinforce other aspects of travelpolicy. For example, staff may be restrictedto parking for eighteen days in any fourweek (20 day) period. They will then needto use car sharing, telework, or othertransport modes on the remaining days.This can achieve measurable trafficreduction and save car parking spaceswithout creating large changes to stafflifestyles.

E If staff wish to bring cars on to the siteover and above their allowance it may beappropriate to charge a premium foradditional days.

Car park charges.E Charges may be on a departmental or

individual basis and cover various periods.

E A personal charge is more likely to bringchanges, but requires careful developmentto suit the company situation.

E A departmental annual charge will be theeasiest to administer, but the least likely toachieve widespread small changes tocommuter driving habits. It could alsodisproportionately affect departments withpremium skills, but could encourage localrecruitment in others.

E Monthly credit systems will allow staff aproportion of their parking costs eachmonth, but require them to pay for anyadditional days themselves.

E A daily charge, often set at a low rateinitially, will show immediate benefits forany journey made by other means.

E A one-off payment, equivalent to oneyear’s car parking, means that those whoalways use other means will be rewarded,those who use other means occasionallywill see a benefit for their effort, andregular drivers will be no worse off thanthey would have been for the first year.Alternatively, make a one-off ‘buy out’payment to staff who give up car parkingplaces.

E Acceptance of a charging system may beincreased by introducing a sliding scale ofcharges based on salary, to make it fairerfor lower paid staff.

The University ofHertfordshire hasimplemented a parkingpolicy on site to reducecongestion and meet itscommitment not to planfor increased parkingdemand (demand isgreater than spaceavailable). In view of this,first and second year full-time students and otherstudents who live near thecampus are not permittedto park on campusbetween the hours of0800 and 1630, Monday toFriday during term time.A free park-and-rideservice, which operatesevery few minutesbetween 0730 and 1845,is provided for bothstudents and staff.

Car park charges for staffare set on a sliding scale,based on salary. Revenuefrom car parking goestowards the cost ofmaintaining andimproving the car parkse.g. providing betterlighting.

CASE STUDY

E The cost of car parking spaces.

E Car park management systems can free upspace for mobility impaired people andvisitors to your site.

E All or part of a charging system may beused for financing improvements to facilitiesfor other modes of transport or to existingcar parking.

IT COULD SAVE

E Initial set up costs for restricting parkingmay be high if barriers are not already inplace, particularly if an electronic system isbeing considered.

E Provision of ticket machines or smart cardbarrier technology.

E A paper permit system will require on sitemonitoring, and will not respond easily totime restriction systems.

IT COULD COST

FURTHER INFORMATION

Organisations:Transmo - develop smart card technologyfor parking and other transport applications.Unit 11, The Maltings, Green Drift, Royston, Herts, SG8 5DY. Tel: 01763 249933; fax: 01763 249955.www.citycard.co.uk

Metric - provide smartcard interfacemachines for parking and otherapplications. Metric House, Love Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1YG. Tel: 01285 651441; fax: 01285 653944.

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The FI Group have 200 staff commuting to theiroffice daily and some 160 parking spaces. They arelocated in a busy industrial area with severe parkingand congestion problems, and have instituted a carsharing scheme for staff. One of the incentives for

car sharing is that there are six reserved car parkingspaces on site. There are currently three car sharingpartnerships on the company’s car sharing database,and all of these share virtually every day.

CASE STUDY

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BENEFITS

Green DrivingGreen driving is about improving theefficiency of the vehicles being used bymaintaining them regularly, monitoringtheir use and driving them in a style thatwill maximise both economy and safety.For businesses it also looks at managingthe vehicle fleet and running pool cars.

British businesses are losing £450 million ayear through not monitoring their fuelbills. A DETR survey of 235 car and van

fleets, involving some 18,000 vehicles,showed that only 10% knew theirtotal fuel expenditure and even fewerknew how much their vehicles consumed2.

Business TravelWise recognises that carswill continue to be a major transportmethod, but also encourages greendriving, when cars are needed, becausethis can provide large savings in costs andpollution.


less on site parking - morespace for customers and clients more relaxed, safer driving less road space needed

savings from reduced fuel,insurance and running costs

lower insurance premiums -fewer insurance claims fewer resources used

more productive staff team building less car pollution,less congestion, less noise

E Monitoring fuel costs can achieve savings ofmore than 5% without any other measuresbeing implemented.

E Extra fuel not only costs massive sums ofmoney but also damages the environmentby pumping two million tonnes of carbondioxide needlessly into the atmosphere.

E Better driving techniques can reduceaccidents and lower insurance premiums.

E Motorcycles and motor scooters may, undersome circumstances, provide betterenvironmental performance in terms of fuelconsumption and use of resources than carswith a single occupant. They can also oftenbe parked in a space smaller than a car.Motorcycles may, in some cases, provideenvironmental benefits where the rider hasswitched from a car rather than from otherforms of transport.

OTHER BENEFITS

2 “Attitudes to fuel efficiencyin UK car and van fleets”-Energy Efficiency BestPractice Programme, 1998

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Green DrivingE Introduce training in better driving

techniques for all staff, not just companycar drivers.

E Consider an award scheme for accidentfree drivers.

E Provide detailed journey planning infor-mation. Getting lost can take up to 20%of journey time on unfamiliar roads3.

E Encourage smooth, systematic driving,with correct use of gears and with speedalways related to safety.

E Calculate the environmental benefits.Carbon dioxide emissions in kilograms areapproximately two and a half times thefuel used in litres.

E Consider the use of alternative fuels suchas gas or electricity powered vehicles.There are a number of dual fuel vehiclescommercially available as well as singlealternative fuel vehicles and thetechnology is developing all the time.

Company carsE Consider allocation of company cars. Are

the most appropriate cars being used?Could the value of the car be absorbedinto a package of other benefits for thosepeople whose jobs do not require regulardriving?

E Introduce pool cars to make it easier forstaff to commute by other means.

E Consider negotiating a contract with a taxicompany. Taxis may be used to completepassenger transport journeys and makeshorter journeys where the car is the usualoption.

E Use whole life costing when choosingvehicles to include fuel, parts andmaintenance as well as finance options,standing charges, depreciation andtaxation.

E Set up systems to monitor fuel use andcosts.

E Develop a recall system to ensure regularmaintenance that can find faults beforethey develop into problems.

Motorcycles and motor scootersE Motorcycle riders will need dedicated,

secure parking that is covered and well litand a fixed object to secure the vehicle.

E They will also need storage provision forbulky helmets and protective outerclothing.

E Encourage riders to take advantage oftraining programmes in rider safety.

E 5% of fuel costs just by monitoring fuel usewithout any other measures, as theknowledge of monitoring is sufficient toencourage better practices.

E Different drivers using identical cars can

show a difference of 45% in fuel used overthe same route. Better driving techniquescan be one of the best ways of saving fuel4.

E Fuel costs account for 15 - 20% of the totaloperating costs of a fleet of cars or vans.

IT COULD SAVE

How can I find out where I can refuelwith alternative fuels?The associations for alternative fuels, whosetelephone numbers are given at the back ofthis book, can provide up to date informationon the growing number of refuelling points.

What if I need to drive fast to get all mycalls done?Fast driving is not efficient in purely commercialterms - traffic conditions are the mainconstraint on any journey. A steady driver,anticipating traffic conditions, may even beable to reduce journey times and be lessstressed and more able to do business at theend of the journey.


CASE STUDYWhen ICL looked closelyat their operations to seehow they could minimisetheir impacts on theenvironment one of theitems they investigatedwas their use of couriersand the number of couriertrips made. As a globalsoftware and servicescompany they need todeliver IT and spares totheir engineers at shortnotice.

However, at the start of1999 they examined thenumber of courier tripsbeing made and decidedto try and use othermeans to get the spares totheir customers andengineers on time. Variousmethods were usedincluding doubling up ontrips and using the railnetwork and overnightpost.

During the first fourmonths of the year morethan 800 courier tripswere saved. With anaverage trip distance of 72miles, this represented57,600 road miles withtheir associated CO2emissions. Of course thissaving also bringsfinancial benefits so thereis good news all round.

3 “Telematics Technology” - The AA, 1997

4 Novem, Netherlands Agencyfor Energy and theEnvironment, 1996. Quoted in“Fuel Efficient FleetManagement”, ETSU

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E Tyres under inflated by 7p.s.i. can waste halfa gallon (2.2 ltrs) of fuel per tank.

E Adhering to strict maintenance periods androutines can reduce fuel consumption by7%. It can also extend the life of the fleetand avoid some unexpected repair costs.

E Reducing mileage may have a favourableimpact on lease car mileage thresholds fortax purposes.

E Better driving techniques can reduceaccidents and save money on repair andinsurance bills.

E Setting up and maintaining monitoring andrecording systems.

E Initial increased maintenance costs as morefrequent servicing checks are put in place.

E Cost of training company drivers in ‘GreenDriving’ techniques.

E Buying out some of the company cardrivers.

E Setting up a car pool fleet.

IT COULD COST

FURTHER INFORMATION

Organisations:Hertfordshire Road Safety Unit -Offers a presentation “Greener Motoring”to groups of drivers and/or their managers. Road Safety Unit, Environment Department,96, Victoria Street, St Albans,Herts, AL1 3TG. Tel: 01727 816967; fax: 01727 816979.email; [email protected]

Energy Efficiency Enquiries Bureau -Publishes a number of good practice andenergy consumption guides. ETSU, Harwell,Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RA. Tel: 01235436747; fax: 01235 433066; email: [email protected]

ACFO Ltd (Association of Car FleetOperators) - Advice and information onwhole life costing for vehicles. RivendellHouse, 2, Winton Road, Petersfield,Hampshire, GU32 3LL. Tel: 01730 260162.

Environment and Energy Helpline -Government agency specialising intransport and other energy advice tobusiness. Tel: 0800 585 794

Powershift, the Energy Saving Trust -Provides information on alternative fuelsand can provide grants for vehicles andexpanding the infrastructure for gas orelectric vehicles. Tel: 0345 277200.

Dagenham Motors, Stevenage -information on fuel and grants for Fordvehicles. Contact Roger Atkinson or PaulMcGeever on 01438 366000;email: [email protected]

Publications:“New Car Fuel Consumption Figures”- Regularly updated to give official fuelconsumption and CO2 figures for new cars.Vehicle Certification Agency. Tel: 0117 952 4191.

“Greener Motoring Guide” - practicaladvice on monitoring fuel consumption andachieving a reduction in fuel used. Othertopics covered are choosing the mostsuitable car and getting the best from yourcar. Available from Hertfordshire RoadSafety Unit. Address as previous.

“Fuel Efficient Fleet Management” -Good practice guide No. 218.An in depth look at choosing andmonitoring fleet cars. DETR 1998. Available from ETSU: Address as previous.

“The GREENER MOTORING Guide” -The Society of Motor Manufacturers andTraders Ltd, 1998. Forbes House, Halkin Street, London SW1X 7DS. Tel: 0207 235 7000; fax: 0207 235 7112;www.smmt.co.uk

CASE STUDYMitsubishi Electricevaluated their companycar policy to see how theycould reduce costs andemissions. Their aim wasto help reduce emissionsand therefore contributeto a better environmentbut still keep the businessgoing. The new policyencourages staff not totake their large carentitlement but to downsize to a smaller enginedvehicle. This is supportedfinancially by allowing thedifference between theBenchmark vehicle andthe chosen car from alower grade to be passedon to the driver. Thesaving can vary from £20to £70 per month,depending on the vehiclechosen.

The company aims for a‘win-win’ situation inwhich the companyreduces pollution frombusiness journeys and thestaff pay less on the P11Dvalue of the vehicle andare able to do their bit forthe environment.

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Cyclingto work

Cycling is ideal for shorter journeys. As31% of journeys to work are less than

5 miles and 56% of all journeys areunder 2 miles (3.2km), cycling can have animportant role to play in reducing car use.

Cycling can improve fitness. A leadingheart specialist has said that: “Regularcyclists have a fitness level equivalent tosomeone ten years younger”5.

Cycling is also the most energy efficientmode of transport.

Some towns in Hertfordshire already havecycle paths. Cycle provision is increasingand there is an increasing network of off-road and leisure routes. There are cyclewayroute maps of some parts of the county.Check with TravelWise to see if one isavailable for your area.

E The government suggests that everyoneshould take 30 minutes of moderateintensity physical activity at least five times aweek. It takes only 15 - 30 minutes to cycle5 miles, and this can provide the basic levelof physical activity for health, just by cyclingto work.

E A 10% increase in the number of peoplecycling regularly would lead to a 4%

reduction in the number of people withheart disease6.

E Cycling is an aerobic activity which can help reduce coronary heart disease, increasethe metabolic rate, decrease blood pressure,delay the onset of post-menopausalosteoporosis, and be an antidote toobesity 7.

OTHER BENEFITS

5 “On your bike” - Sharp, I.National Forum for CoronaryHeart Disease Prevention,1990.

6 Health Education Authority7 “Cycling towards health and

safety” - British MedicalAssociation [Oxford UniversityPress, 1992]


healthier, more alert staff, less sickness

better health, reduced risk ofheart disease, more energy less congestion

less on-site parking needed more enjoyable journey, cycling is fun and sociable less pollution

more space for customers less costcan be easier to park less road space needed

company benefits financially can be faster than a car andfour times faster than walking less parking space needed

BENEFITS

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Cyclists need to be confident that their cycles willnot be tampered with while they are at work. Thisnot only applies to the cycle itself but also to theaccessories such as pumps, lights, panniers etc.

E Cycle racks - because many modern bikescan be dismantled in a matter of seconds, itis desirable that any cycle rack is of a typewhich allows both frame and wheels to besecured. The most popular form of rack isthe ‘Sheffield’ stand, which is a floormounted loop. There are also wall mountedloops - which are suitable where space is

limited, or locking stands which areoperated by coin, token or card for shortterm parking. The cycle rack should becovered to protect the bikes from theweather.

E Cages and lockers which are designed totake bicycles can give much improvedsecurity and weather protection.

E Position - ideally cycle racks should be in abusy, well lit place or where they can beseen by a receptionist or security guard,either directly or by close circuit television.

Security

E Showering and changing facilities - cyclistsmay want to travel in lighter and looserclothing, and can get hot from the exercise.

E Lockers for clothes - in wet weather, someform of drying facility for cycling clothes maybe needed.

E Identify safe routes - help to identify thesafest cycle routes in and around the workplace. Routes on site for cyclists can be mademore attractive - away from pollution anddanger, well maintained and, if possible, withadequate lighting.

E Speed limits - make sure that speed limits areenforced in and around the site.

E Links to safe places to cycle off the site -work with the local council to link on siteroutes into local cycle routes.

E Cycle allowances - these are best restrictedto short business trips, for example, up to 5miles. At the time of writing Inland Revenue

will allow up to 12p per mile before taxbecomes payable.

E Cycle and equipment loans - loans can beoffered for cycle purchase or a staff discountnegotiated with a local cycle shop.

E Cycle Insurance - the CTC has a special policyfor employers wishing to insure employees forthird party risks when cycling during thecourse of business. Individual CTC membersare automatically covered for third partyinsurance and legal aid for cycling accidents.The CTC also has number of other policiestailored for cyclists. See further information atthe end of this section.

E Cycle Identification - some police stations inHertfordshire have regular postcode markingsessions for bicycles, or the Police may beprepared to come to your site. GeneralEnquiries at your local police station shouldprovide more information.

Facilities


E Gain senior management support -Both regular and infrequent cyclists havesaid that employer support is a key factorin encouraging greater cycling amongothers8. They also noted the importanceof cycle security.

E Improve facilities on site - Cycling image can be important, hencetrip end facilities (parking, showers etc.)will say a lot about attitudes to cycling andcan encourage or discourage it9.

E Don’t expect too much -It is best to expect only small numbers ofcyclists overall. About 20% of staff maybe willing to give cycling a go if thefacilities are right. Some of these may thencycle once a week or more in betterweather.

E Provide advice on routes, possibly with thehelp of a bicycle user group. The drivingroute is not necessarily the best one forcycling. CASE STUDY

The University ofHertfordshire has 18,000students and 2,000 staff,many of whom live closeto its campuses. There islimited space for parkingon site and it has activelyencouraged cycling as analternative means oftravel. It publishes a mapof cycle paths to and fromthe Hatfield Campus. Ithas invested in a purposebuilt cycle centre, withsecure parking, showersand lockers. Several adultcycle training courses havebeen held in conjunctionwith Hertfordshire RoadSafety Unit. The Universityhas set a target toincrease cycling by 2%, aspart of an overall target toreduce car use by 20% inthe next three years.

8 “Attitudes to cycling”-TRL Report 266.

9 “Trip end facilities forcyclists”- TRL Report 309.

15

The main motivators for cycling to work are toavoid stress and congestion. Getting exercise andsaving money were considered less important andthis should be borne in mind in developingstrategy.10

E Encourage the setting up of a Bicycle UserGroup (BUG). This can give support for cyclistsand information and advice about cyclemaintenance, routes and leisure cycling. ABUG can also publicise cycling to staff, adviseon facilities and set up a bike ‘buddy’ scheme,in which new cyclists can be paired with moreexperienced ones for help with routes andconfidence.

E Consider some relaxation of dress codes to helpthose who are only cycling short distances. A time allowance for showering and changingmight help to encourage cyclists as well asshowing the company’s support for cycling.

E Adult Cycle Training courses can help to giveconfidence to new or returning cyclists. They are run by Hertfordshire Road Safety Unit (see further information) and can be offered togroups of 6 - 12 staff at your site. The coursescover equipment, practical skills and instructionin handling a bicycle on the road.

E Encourage a cycling section of the company’ssports and social club.

E Encourage events such as Bike to Work day orother activities during National Bike Week.Contact CTC or TravelWise for moreinformation.

E Combine cycling schemes with passengertransport - offer bus or rail passes to be usedin adverse weather conditions.

E Provide ‘pool’ bikes for short trips e.g.between sites.

Cycle promotion

E The cost of more parking spaces. Providingcycle parking, showers and clothes storageand drying is still likely to cost less thanextra parking.

E Some of the cost of sickness absence in thelonger term.

E Employees using their own bicycle forbusiness are able to claim capital allowanceson a proportion of the cost of the cycle11.

IT COULD SAVE

E The cost of high quality shower facilities, toencourage use by a wide range of staff.They should include clothes storage anddrying facilities.

E Simple ‘Sheffield’ bike racks can cost about£50 or less to install and will enable boththe frame and at least one wheel to be

locked to them regardless of the size or typeof bicycle. Bicycle lockers start at about£400 but are becoming cheaper as theybecome more popular.

E Publicity materials and training to encouragecycling.

IT COULD COST

CASE STUDYGlaxo Wellcome inStevenage started toencourage cycling to workby running a number ofevents for Bike to Workday. There was a prizedraw, bikers’ breakfastand publicity andexhibitions about the day.The event drew recordnumbers of cyclists, anumber of whom had notconsidered cycling to workbefore. Overall cyclingnumbers have increasedas a result of thepromotion and this hasled to cycle parkingimprovements in terms ofnumbers and quality ontheir sites at Stevenageand Ware.

10 “Attitudes to cycling”-TRL report 266, 1999

11 “The Benefits of GreenTransport Plans” - DETR

16

FURTHER INFORMATION

Organisations:CTC (Formerly The Cyclists Touring Club) - Offer insurance,publications and reports and run NationalBike Week. They can be contacted at 69Meadrow, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 3HS.Tel 01483 417217. www.ctc.org.uk

National Cycle Forum - Has formed as aresult of the National Cycle Strategy[Report published 1996]. The Forumproduces information and leaflets oncycling matters including business andretailing. Tel: 0207 676 2478

Sustrans - An engineering charity helpingto develop and build cycling and walkingroutes throughout the UK. For informationsheets on many cycling topics includingthe “Cycle Friendly Employers” schemecontact 35, King Street, Bristol, BS1 4DZ orwww.sustrans.co.uk

Sefton Council - “Wheels of Fortune”.13 minute video on the benefits andopportunities cycling can bring anemployer, introduced by Chris Boardman.Contact Southport and Formby HealthPromotion Service, 2 Church Street, Southport, PR9 0QU. Tel: 01704 530940 ext. 3752.

The London Cycling Campaign - ‘TheLondon Cyclist’ magazine, cycle insuranceand information on facilities from 228Great Guildford Business Square, 30 GreatGuildford Street, London, SE1 0HU Tel 0207 928 7220 orwww.cerbernet.co.uk/lcc

Hertfordshire Road Safety Unit - for adult cycle training and information onsafe cycling.96, Victoria Street, St Albans AL1 3TG. Tel: 01727 816974.

Cycling UK - Website covering all aspectsof cycling at www.cycling.uk.com

Publications:“Cycling motorists. How toencourage them” - The AA, 1993

“A Blueprint for Bicycle use” -Bicycle Association, Starley House, Eaton Road, Coventry, CV4 2FH

“Safer Cycling” - A booklet giving adviceon how to keep you safe and your bikesecure [Ref: CORP/217], from HertfordshireConstabulary, County Police Headquarters,Stanborough Road, Welwyn Garden City,Herts AL8 6XF. Tel: 01707 354588

CASE STUDYWatford Council have aBicycle Users Group (BUG)which meets monthly.There are six pool bikesand additional accessoriesand safety equipment forup to 40 people. Theexisting cycle shed hasbeen upgraded and secureparking facilities havebeen introduced at thetown hall along withshowers, lockers anddrying facilities. There areinterest free loans of up to£1,000 for staff topurchase bikes andaccessories, plus a freemaintenance and advisoryservice. Staff areencouraged to cycle forwork journeys within thetown and the council haspublished a series of routemaps and guides coveringtravel between all of theirmain sites, none of whichare more than a few milesapart. The authority hasalso taken out corporatemembership of the CTC sothat it is linked to theinformation and advicenetworks of thatorganisation.

17

Walkingto work

Walking is the most widely used form oftransport; nearly all journeys involve

some walking, so better pedestrianfacilities can have a wide impact. Walkingas the main method of travel is probablybest for journeys of less than two miles, butwalking is likely to be combined with car

sharing or use of passenger transport fordistances of one and a half miles or more.

Slightly more than one in ten journeys towork are made on foot. Of these 90% areless than 1.1 miles (1.8 km) and 98% areless than 2.2 miles (3.5km).

E Fitness walking is brisk aerobic walking, alow impact, low stress form of exercise. It is not power walking or race walking butincreases the rate at which the heart andlungs work.

E Walking briskly for half an hour a day canhalve the risk of heart disease12. By walkingall ages can get fit and stay active.

E The government recommends 30 minutesof moderate intensity physical activity fivetimes a week. Fitness walking is an ideal

activity for this, and can be built upgradually.

E It takes most people 20 minutes to walk 1.6km (1 mile). This distance could be walkedin the lunch break, and leave staff feelingfitter and more alert for the afternoon.

E As well as helping the heart and overallfitness, walking can help prevent back pain,postural problems, heart disease, bone loss,hypertension, varicose veins, respiratoryproblems and arthritis.

OTHER BENEFITS

12 Health Education Authority


healthier staff -less sickness

do not have to be fit to start -gain exercise and fitness

encourages greaterenvironmental awareness

less on site parking needed inexpensive - little or no special equipment or clothing less congestion

more parking spacefor customers

can be sociable - walking withfamily and friends less fumes

less stressed staff ‘quality time’ for the individual less pollution

financial benefitsfor company

can be quicker than carin town centres

contributes to reducing carjourneys in towns

BENEFITS

18

Will walking to work commit me towalking all the time?Only a little extra encouragement will get mostpeople walking in fine weather.

How far would I have to walk to getany benefit?Most people walk about four miles a day - alittle more than that can bring considerablehealth benefits.



E Develop a pedestrian friendly site withwell lit, safe and maintained footpathswith adequate crossing points. Theseshould preferably link into off-site publicfootways and passenger transport sites bythe most direct means.

E Encourage staff not to drive for journeysof less than 1.6 km (1 mile) which can bewalked by most people in 20 minutes –probably no longer than the time taken tolocate the car, make the journey and parkat the other end.

E Produce a map showing the walkingroutes in and around the site, to nearbysites and points of interest. These couldalso include walking times or distancesbetween the most common destinations.

E Organise a “Walk To Work Week” in thesummer - this may help you find out whatsite provision is needed.

E Introduce a flexible hours system to enablestaff to make the best use of daylight.

E Ensure that the speed of the traffic in andaround the site is at a minimum and thatspeed restrictions are enforced and haveadequate signs.

E Develop walking routes into and throughthe nearest town with staff and/or yourlocal council or pedestrians association.

E Consider CCTV in areas where pedestriansmay feel unsafe.

E Help raise awareness of the healthbenefits through posters and leaflets.

E Provide site entrances from publicfootways, not just from car parks.

E Provide walkers with lockers to store heavyboots or shoes - they may need somedrying facilities for coats and hats.

E Organise a form of ‘Walk Share’ so thosewalking in the same direction can walktogether. This will help to emphasise thesocial aspects of walking and removesome of the security fears.

E Work with the Countryside ManagementService or your Local Agenda 21 officer todevelop short lunchtime walking routes,or walking events to get staff used to theidea of walking.

E Work with your occupational healthdepartment to promote the healthbenefits of walking.

E Up to £550 a year for a former car usertravelling two miles each way and parkingat a long stay car park. In addition to thisthere will be savings in car running costs.

E A number of car parking spaces atapproximately £6000 each to set up and£200 p.a. to maintain.

IT COULD SAVE

E Maintenance for pedestrian routes so thatthey are safe, attractive and direct.

IT COULD COST

FURTHER INFORMATION

Organisations:The Pedestrians Association - Lobbyfor better facilities for pedestrians andhave quarterly magazine ‘Walk’. Contactat 31-33, Bondway, London SW8 1SJ. Tel: 0207 820 1010; fax: 0207 8208208;www.pedestrians.org.uk.

Health Education Authority -Trevelyan House, 30, Gt. Peter Street,London, SW1P 2HW. Tel: 0207 222 5300;www.hea.org.uk

Hertfordshire Health Promotion -Charter House, 1, Parkway, WelwynGarden City, AL8 6JL. Tel: 01707 390865;www.hhpwgc.demon.co.uk

Countryside Management Service -for advice on planning walking and cyclingroutes in Hertfordshire and information onexisting leisure routes. Contact Rob Rees,CMS, County Hall, Hertford, Herts, SG138DN. Tel: 01992 555256;www.hertscc.gov.uk/cms

Welwyn Hatfield Council - for information on preparing lunchtimewalks for staff contact Barry Trevis,Environment Officer on 01707 357347.

Hertfordshire County CouncilDivisional Highway Managers - for advice on and repairs to footways andstreet lights. Phone 01992 556106 for thename and telephone number of the localHighway Area Manager.

Groundwork - build and maintaincountry footpaths and bridleways. Contact Tony Perry on 01707 260129.

Publications:“Personal Security Issues inPedestrian Journeys” - published byDETR and Crime Concern - May 1999.

Welwyn Hatfield Council encourages both walking andexploration of the local area by running lunchtimewalks for staff. Over the last three years they haveorganised a number of lunchtime walks for staff inwoodlands in Welwyn Garden City.

The first walk was held close to the council offices inSherrards Park Wood and a two mile circuit was chosento demonstrate the wood’s main characteristics. Thewalk was designed to give more awareness of thefeatures of the wood, encourage staff and give themmore confidence in walking (unguided) in the future,and to encourage exercise and healthy eating. It wasorganised as part of both the Local Agenda 21 andTravelWise processes with the Countryside Management

Service. The Health Education Officer was also involvedto demonstrate the health messages by providing ahealthy lunch at the end of the walk.

The walk was designed to encourage staff to takeexercise in their breaks, and help build up fitnesstowards the journey to work. It has been followed byother walks, both to the same and different localspaces.

Feedback about the walks has been positive, staffenjoyed the exercise and were pleased to discover theavailability of recreational spaces close to their officesand find out the best routes for short walks.

CASE STUDY

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PassengerTransport

Passenger transport can include both public bus and train services, taxis and worksbuses. Used flexibly, all of these can help reduce congestion, make journeys moreefficient and improve the company’s environmental image.

E New buses coming on to the roads arecleaner, brighter and more comfortable,with new safety features, such as lowerfloors, that can help people with mobilitydifficulties.

E There are clear environmental benefits13. A car will produce 180g of CO2 (carbon

dioxide) and 2g of NOX (nitrogen oxides)while a bus produces only 48g of CO2 and0.8g of NOX and a train 79g of CO2 and0.5g of NOX per passenger/km. Threequarters of Hertfordshire’s bus fleet nowruns on low emission fuels.

OTHER BENEFITS

20

13 “The Green Office Manual”,1997


less on-site parking needed less stress less congestion

more space for customers chance to exercise by walkingto and from bus or train

one bus can take the occupants of 15 cars

financial benefitsfor company

fare discounts forregular users less pollution

more productive staff cheaper than running cars orcompany vehicles less road space needed

BENEFITS

Make sure that there are pedestrian friendlysite entrances conveniently placed for busstops. These entrances will need to be well litand possibly staffed during hours of darkness,so that everybody can feel secure in using thefacilities.

Information for staff and visitors

E Provide maps and timetables in prominentlocations on site and keep the informationup to date. Information can also be placedon the company intranet.

E Try to have easy to understand route mapscentred on your site with a map showingdestinations of buses and trains in the localarea.

E Consider funding your own bus servicesespecially if the site is not on a well servedroute. Partnering with neighbouring sites orcompanies can help to cut costs.

E Encourage links not only between bus andrail but also with walking and cycling so thatthe individual can ‘pick and mix’ their meansof travel.

E Include passenger transport and pedestrianroutes with clear maps in information sentout to visitors to encourage them to visitwithout their car.

Information for the company travelorganiser

E Hertfordshire Traveline provides informationon routes and costs for all passengertransport journeys in Hertfordshire. They can assist with journey planningslightly beyond Hertfordshire for bus traveland nationally for rail and coach travel.

E Larger businesses or sites may want topurchase tickets centrally to gain bulkdiscounts.

E Companies using a lot of rail travel canpurchase the BR Journey Planner on CD-ROM at a modest cost. Railtrack informationis available on the internet and a newnational system for integrated passengertransport information is due to beintroduced in 2000.

Incentives

E Run company buses to transportinterchanges in the morning and afternoonand to a shopping area at lunchtime.

E Consider buying season or daily tickets inbulk and the saving will benefit the lessfrequent traveller.

E Work with Business TravelWise and busoperators to achieve better services to yourpremises. Improvements may include morefrequent services or route alterations tobring buses closer to the site.

E Offer rail season ticket loans to those whoregularly commute by train.

E Encourage rail travel to meetings so thatstaff can spend time working on the train. It can also save money by avoidingexpensive city centre car parking fees.

E Remember that some train companies arestarting to introduce fares which include thetaxi journey to and from the station.

E Check with your local train operator to seewhether they have cheaper fares for peopletravelling against the flow at peak times toencourage more use of these trains.

Facilities


E Provide passenger transport informationthat is up to date and prominentlydisplayed or easily available - preferably inreception, canteen or other heavily usedareas.

E Allow sufficient flexibility in working hoursfor staff to be able to link withappropriate passenger transportconnections. A flexible working hourssystem is ideal.

E Encourage work journeys over 50 miles orto London to be undertaken by train. Thiswill not only give savings if travel is offpeak but can also provide useful workingtime on the train, and save the problemsand costs of parking in town centres.

E Consider negotiating an annual contractwith a taxi firm, which can save moneyover individual fares, particularly if thereare regular trips to a local station orsimilar.

CASE STUDYWatford Town Centreretailers have beenworking together onpromotions for a numberof years. Since 1998 theyhave also been looking atthe impact of their staffon traffic and transport inthe town. They havedeveloped the ArrivaCommuter Club toencourage bus travel forwork. The town centreretailers and WatfordCouncil meet regularly todiscuss the developmentof green transport plansfor their staff and also gettogether to run eventsduring National BikeWeek, Green TransportWeek etc. to encouragestaff to try out and usemore sustainable forms oftransport.

21

E Travel costs as bulk buying, season ticketsand taxi contracts can generate considerablesavings. Large firms may be able to set uptheir own ticket bureau via their traveldepartments.

E There will be savings on car parking spacesif more people travel by passengertransport.

IT COULD SAVE

E The cost and administrative time in runningworks buses needs to be weighed againstthe cost of extra parking provision or asmaller labour pool for recruitment.

E Time to negotiate and promote travel cardsand season ticket loans is a potential chargeon the company.

IT COULD COST

FURTHER INFORMATION

Organisations:Hertfordshire Traveline - Can giveinformation on bus and train services andcosts in and around Hertfordshire. Tel:0845 7244344(calls charged at local rate);Minicom 01992 588658. Hertfordshire businformation can also be found onhttp://ukbus.u-net.co.uk

Hertfordshire Passenger TransportUnit has a great deal of expertise inprocurement of transport services, and canadvise businesses on the likely costs ofhiring a coach for daily transport or forone-off events. Tel: 01992 588629.

Rail timetable information - 0345 484950 and www.railtrack.co.uk

The Trainline - book train tickets on lineat www.thetrainline.co.uk

National Express - long distance coachinformation 08705 808080 andwww.nationalexpress.co.ukAirport ‘Flightlink’ service enquiries are on08705 747757 but information isrestricted to National Express services only.

Hertfordshire Mobility Helpline -Gives advice and information for themobility handicapped about passengertransport services and access to passengertransport including dial-a ride services. Tel: 0345 959844,.

Hertfordshire Association for theDisabled (HAD) - Provides a wide rangeof information and advice includingtransport issues. Tel: 01707 324581.

Publications:Hertfordshire Passenger Transporttimetables - for subscriptions contact P W Gates Distribution, Swallow End,Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL7 1JA.

Disability Information Service forHertfordshire (DISH) - Have produced atransport guide and have a telephoneinformation service for people withphysical disabilities, carers and professionalservice provides. Helpline 0800 181067from 1030 - 1530, Mon- Fri.

22

CASE STUDYArriva Commuter Club -the Arriva bus company isworking with employersin Watford to offerdiscount bus tickets totheir employees through aCommuter Club. WatfordCouncil launched theArriva Commuter Club inthe town by being thefirst employer to promotethe club and sign up staff.Employees who join theClub get a specialdiscounted ticket for a fullcalendar month at halfprice for the first month,followed by five monthsat a discounted rate andthen two free tickets. TheCommuter Clubpromotions are designedto encourage employeesto leave their cars at homeand use the bus.

Technologyfor Business Journeys

Technology for business journeys isdeveloping all the time. One of the

ways of using technology is to replace ajourney altogether by teleconferencing formeetings.

The other uses of technology are torationalise the journey or journeys beingundertaken by using software.

This can prepare route plans to give themost effective routes for either a singlejourney or more complex programme oftrips. Software is being developed whichcan integrate with network diary systemsto encourage car sharing for businessjourneys.

Will teleconferences take longer to setup than ordinary meetings?They may take longer initially, while staff getused to the systems, and staff may find thatthey need to prepare more thoroughly formeetings, but these problems should disappearwith use.

I value working face-to-face; will allmeetings be via teleconferencing? Most teleconference systems will allow you to

focus on the whole group or one person, sothe vital element of body language need notbe lost. Many people will still want to meet forsome meetings so that they can buildrelationships more easily.

What if my company is too small forjourney planning?In some cases, it may be possible to run ajourney planning system with other nearbycompanies.


23


teleconferencing can save trav-elling time, costs & expenses reduced stress from travel sharing promotes better driving

reducing accidents & pollution

teleconferencing can increaseproductivity by reducing stress

hold meetings without theneed to bring car into work reduces congestion

journey sharing software canreduce travel expenses

more productivetime available

reduction in pollution from car or air travel

journey planning can reducemileage and time for journeys

more sociable travelto meetings

easier to use non car travel towork - encourages car sharing

BENEFITS

24


E Identify a champion for the systems atsenior level and set up a pilot project togain acceptance.

E Prepare clear guidelines on when and howthe systems are to be used.

E Publicise the benefits to staff, encourageall staff to use the facility by runningfamiliarisation sessions.

E Aim to integrate any systems into thecompany’s business and environmentalpolicies to demonstrate why they arebeing introduced.

E Keep a record of the miles saved byteleconferencing.

E A dedicated video conference system maybe easier for occasional use or for use by avariety of people. It is a stand alone unitthat plugs into any suitable monitor and willoperate on a normal TV if it has compositevideo and audio inputs. These systemsoperate best when connected to a unit ofthe same make and model as they useproprietary audio and video connectiontechniques. The image and sound qualityare comparable to a terrestrial TV channel.This system cannot be used for data calls.

E PC based video conference systems offer amore flexible approach but will require staffto be trained in their use. They are installedon a normal PC and extend its capabilitywith a camera and either hands free audio

unit or a high quality sound card withspeaker and microphone. The software iscapable of connecting to a number ofdifferent computer languages including highspeed telephone links, ISDN (IntegratedService Digital Network), local area networksor via the Internet. This system allows fordata and applications to be shared betweentwo or more PCs and allows collaborativeworking.

E Accept that teleconferencing can removethe need for some meetings, especiallywhen a group is well established or meetingregularly, but that travelling and meetingpeople face to face will still be needed atsome stages.

Teleconferencing

E There are readily available computerprogrammes which will plan a journey orcomplex round trips and give the most timeor mileage-efficient routes.

E This can be done centrally for heavy users,

such as representatives or maintenance staffand linked to work programmes.

E In its simplest form, route planning softwarecan cost less than £50 and run on astandard laptop or desktop computer.

Journey Planning

E Formal journey sharing systems are most likelyto be used where there is easy access tocomputers and a reliable computer network.

E Journey sharing may be possible informally,but this may restrict some possible gains bynot including all potential participants.

E The interface with journey planningsoftware needs to be easy to access

(possibly not on the company intranetbecause of possible hardware problems forsome participants) and have a user friendlyinterface.

E It is most likely to be used where it isintegrated with other functions, such asexpenses, diary planners, timesheets etc.

Journey Sharing

25

CASE STUDYThe computer companiesIn-Touch and Intrinsicaare creating a businessjourney planning system,at the request of BusinessTravelWise members. The new system will makeit possible for employeesto match up and sharetheir business journeyswith one another.Additionally, the journeytimes and mileage ofthese business trips maybe recorded. These statistics can beespecially helpful toorganisations operatingfrom a number of sites,giving them a way ofmonitoring business tripsbetween their own sitesand frequently usedlocations.

E Travel and hotel expenses.

E Requirement for new parking spaces.

E Mileage, wear and tear on company cars.

E Car expenses for owner drivers.

E By linking a journey sharing system intoother databases, such as expenses, callrotas, or work and costing systems, it cansave office time in running systemsseparately.

IT COULD SAVE

E Dedicated video conference systems costabout £3,000.

E Conference telephone calls cost only a smallamount more than a standard call, andsome PABX exchanges can support thesealready.

E Training in the use of PC based videoconferences will be needed for all staff whowill use the system.

E Most teleconferencing systems will requirean ISDN telephone line. Prices for these varybetween suppliers and there are a numberof packages available.

E Setting up intranet systems that will hostdiary and journey planning software.

IT COULD COST

FURTHER INFORMATION

Organisations:In-Touch Computer Services - providecar sharing and journey planning software.Contact Jim Hough, 69, Penn Way,Letchworth. Herts, SG6 2SH. Tel: 01462 684726; fax: 01462 630709; email: [email protected]

Intrinsica Networks Ltd - Contact Nick Gibson tel: 01438 745000; fax: 01438 745111;email: [email protected]

26

E One or two days a week spent working athome can eliminate some commuter tripsaltogether and has the potential to make asignificant impact in reducing peak hourtraffic.

E About 450,000 people now telework, andthis is increasing by about 25% per year14.

E About 17% of gross domestic product isused on the journey to work, and some ofthis can be saved by substituting teleworkfor some of these journeys.

OTHER BENEFITS

14 “The potentential impact oftelework”- Home OfficePartnership.

TeleworkTelework comes from the Greek, ‘tele’ - ’at a distance’, and uses the changes indemography, the labour market, travel to work patterns and information technologyto promote staff working from home or from satellite or business centres near theirhome. It does not necessarily imply that work is computer or telecommunications based,although it is most widely used for knowledge workers and call centres.


improved productivity work and family life canbecome more flexible less congestion

may help retention andrecruitment of staff

may be fewer distractionswhen concentration needed

can help local community &employment opportunities

less business mileage less illness - subject to abouthalf normal office epidemics

shorter journeys encourageother forms of travel

less on-site parking needed -more space for customers

journey time and associatedtravel cost savings

can benefit urban andrural regeneration

less office space needed - moreflexible use of existing space

more control over work - lessstress, more job satisfaction

reduction inpeak hour traffic

BENEFITS

27


E Identify a suitable method -

- based at home - for employees whospend a lot of their time working awayfrom the office. It means travelling totheir first call direct from home and onlygoing to the office for specific purposes,including regular team or supervisionmeetings

- based at home some of the time -for employees to undertake suitablework in their home environment

- mobile workers - based at home butworking at a variety of 'customer' sitesand reporting into the office for regularteam or supervision meetings

- working at another office, ortouchdown centre - between visits orat the beginning or end of the day, tosave wasting time travelling to mainwork base

- working at a community orneighbourhood office - where theseexist. These are also local officecomplexes with facilities for short termbookings

E Consider social implications. Ideally nomore than 80% of working time shouldbe spent teleworking. Some changes maybe needed in managing staff objectives.Training and social contact between staffneeds to be planned.

E Consider information needs of staff andhow these will be handled, especially ifsensitive data is being used.

E Identify types of job that may be suitable.This is likely to be mainly office workers,especially those who also make site visitsor attend meetings. For social reasons itmay be less appropriate for those inroutine desk jobs.

E Identify the facilities that will be needed -e.g. telephone, fax, modem, computer,photocopier etc. It may be necessary toequip the employee’s home withappropriate furniture, additional telephonelines, and access to the main telephoneswitchboard.

E Consider insurance and health and safetyimplications, as well as staff costs for usingtheir own homes.

Will telework solve myparking problem?Telework is not the total answer for trafficproblems and can have disadvantages. Forexample, there is no proof of reduction in carjourneys, and it can cause a drop in take up ofcar sharing.

How can I make sure that staff are really working?Many employees report that they can be moreproductive away from the distractions of theoffice. Managers and staff will need to agreeclear work objectives and productivity targetsfor telework and to monitor these regularly.


CASE STUDYHertfordshire TradingStandards changed to aWorkWise programme in1995. This enabled themto move into smallerpremises withoutchanging work or staffinglevels. They found thatthere was a reduction of8% in the businessmileage travelled, butbecause many of the staffwere starting andfinishing their workingday from home andplanning journeys toreduce travel there wasalso about a one thirdreduction in thecommuting miles travelledgiving a clear benefit tothe staff.

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E A government study in 1993 found thathome based telework was reducing total UKmiles by 1%, and that there is a long termpotential for a reduction of 5 - 12% of totalcar use to be substituted by teleworking.

E Car parking and office space can be usedmore effectively.

IT COULD SAVE

E Extra or more stand alone equipment forstaff working from home or satellite offices.

E The cost of local offices.

E May have implications for office design andinformation requirements.

E Setting up new management systems,especially to keep staff in touch with theoffice.

E Need to consider how to maintain flexibilitywhile booking and paying for local offices.

IT COULD COST

FURTHER INFORMATION

Organisations:The Industrial Society - 3, CarltonHouse Terrace, LONDON, SW1Y 5AF. Tel: 0207 839 4300; www.indsoc.co.uk

The Telecottage Association - WREN,Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2RR. Tel: 02476 696986; fax: 02476 696538email: [email protected]

The National Association ofTeleworkers - Glebe House, HarfordSquare, Chew Magna, Bristol, BS40 8RB.Tel: 01275 332612;www.teleworking.org.uk

BT working from home internet site - has news and advice forthe employee, small business and largercorporation. - www.wfh.co.uk

Publications:“Teleworking in Britain” - A report tothe Employment Department [1996]

“The Economics Of Teleworking” - [BT]

“Flexibility” published 10 times a year byThe Home Office Partnership, St John’s Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, CAMBRIDGE, CB4 4WS. Tel: 01223 421 911; www.flexibility.co.uk

As part of their adoption of TravelWise, HertfordshireCounty Council are implementing a programme calledWorkWise, which is encouraging more flexible workingacross all County Council departments. This has resultedin the creation of ‘Oases’, offices all over the countywhich are available for staff to use between meetingsor near their homes to reduce travelling times. There isno set pattern for WorkWise. In some cases it will resultin staff being home based, and coming in to the officefor meetings or specific types of work.

In Social Services all head office staff and all of the staffof 2 of the 10 divisions are now working flexibly, withdata and files accessible down an ordinary telephoneline, with stringent security measures. It means thatfield staff can spend much more of their time onproductive work. The scheme has made much moreeffective use of a reduced amount of office space, thusgiving savings on property costs. It has also resulted inmore effective use of travel, with less time and mileageby staff.

CASE STUDY

29

FlexibleWorking Hours

Flexible working hours are not the sameas staggered working hours, because

in flexible working hours the employeehas control over working times.

Under flexible working hours the workingday is divided into core time and flexibletime. For example, the core time maytypically be 1000 - 1200 and 1400 - 1600,while the flexible time may be 0700 - 1900.The core time must be worked byeveryone but staff can choose (in conj-unction with management) their start and

finish times from within a ‘bandwidth’ ofthe flexible time.

It is usual to allow staff to work up extratime to allow some time off in lieu. Thismay be a day or more a month, thusreducing the need to travel on some days,and reducing pressure on car parking.

A further development of this is thecompressed working week, in which staffmay work a full week’s hours over fourdays or work a nine day fortnight.

E Flexible hours can deliver the same benefitsas some of the other measures by takingcars away from peak time commutingwithout requiring a change in transportmode.

E It can reduce bottlenecks at site and carpark entrances at peak times.

E Most staff are usually keen to get involvedin flexible working hours.

E Flexible working hours can give staff thebenefit of extra holidays by concentratingworking hours, and can reward staff whostay late or start early.

E It can help people travelling by passengertransport as they can arrange their start andfinish times to suit bus and train services.

OTHER BENEFITS


longer office opening hours,greater flexibility for customers

quiet periods at start/end ofday for complicated work

less congestion - spreadsarrival and departure times

flexibility to respond to workpeaks and troughs easier journey to work longer bandwidth can lead to

new job creation

makes job-sharing and parttime work easier to manage

more control over workpatterns

improved air quality from lessroad congestion

can boost morale less stress - easier to balancework/home demands

reduced energy usage fromfewer car journeys

BENEFITS

30

E Pressure on the main approaches to the sitein the morning and evening.

E Pressure on parking spaces by staff usingtheir accrued time off.

E Staff taking a day’s absence for dealing with

small domestic problems by schedulingpersonal or home appointments outside thecore hours.

E It can help deal with peaks and troughs inworkload.

IT COULD SAVE

Will the office be left empty at times?Experience shows that the most usual result offlexible working is that the office is covered fora longer period under flexible working. Staffwill usually be happier to “stay and finishsomething off” if they know they will be givena time credit for it.

Will managers know what is going on?Working times should still be agreed in outlinewith the line manager, who can ask for priornotice of exceptions.


E Setting up a recording system. This can be aclock or paper system. There are a numberof commercial clock and electronic systemsavailable, but with good management apaper system may be just as effective.

E Increased heating and lighting if the office isactive for longer .

E It may be necessary to formalise the lengthof breaks during the working day and careneeds to be taken to avoid staff workingexcessive hours.

IT COULD COST

FURTHER INFORMATION

Organisations:University of Glamorgan - Clear description and rules for a flexibleworking hours system onwww.itc.glam.ac.uk/personnel/flexible.htm

Flextime - Provide flexible working hoursrecording systems. Internet site includesinformation on the benefits of a flexibleworking hours system on www.flextime.ie


E Most methods involve some timerecording systems, which may be bymachine or manually.

E Rules need to be clear and straightforwardso that infringements can be quicklyspotted.

E Where possible, all staff should have thesame opportunities to work flexible hoursas the system needs to demonstratefairness.

CASE STUDYThe TransportationDepartment atHertfordshire CC startedflexible hours workingin 1990, partly to helpease congestion at theirsite entrance in themorning. Staff wereasked for their views onthe introduction of thescheme and there wasoverwhelming support.A clock system was usedat the main office andpaper systems atoutlying workplaces. As well as spreading thetraffic load theintroduction of flexitimehas boosted morale.

The scheme is still inoperation, and stafftravelling any distancetend to choose theirstart and finish times totake account of localtraffic conditions. This means that manyoffices are staffed for atleast an hour and a halflonger than previouslyas well as throughoutthe lunch period.

Green TravelPlans

E Many of the measures can save staff time ormoney - the more time and money savedthe more likely staff are to make the switchto alternative forms of transport.

E As many as 10% of journeys can bechanged through soft measures such aspromotion.

OTHER BENEFITS

BENEFITS

31


fewer parking spaces - unlockspotential for site development

financial benefits through using transport more flexibly less congestion

reduces pressure on siteentrances and exits

better health & less stress whencycling, walking or car sharing less pollution

improves company’senvironmental image

money saved by car sharing,telework etc.

more attractive and saferlocal environment


E Appoint a transport co-ordinator tobring together the different functionssuch as facilities, personnel, finance,property and operational units thatneed to work together. This will beparticularly useful in medium and largescale businesses.

E Treat the company travel plan as a livingdocument. It can be a good idea toimplement it on a flexible and phasedbasis with the involvement ofemployees.

E The small actions are what many peoplemeasure success by - ensure they arerealistic, well-designed and promoted.

E Go for easy, “quick win” actions initially,to get things going.

E A Green Travel Plan will need visiblesupport from senior levels. Staff shouldbe involved early on to make themaware of the relevant issues.

E Undertake a travel survey so that thereis a basis for progress monitoring.

A Green Travel Plan is a management toolthat brings together transport and otherbusiness issues in a co-ordinated strategyfor the company.

Company travel plans will ideally look atboth travel to work and travel for work. It will consider the employees’ travel

patterns at present and the travel thatthey may need in the future. The previoussections of this guide can show how someof the reductions may be made.

There is no ‘off the shelf’ green travelplan. Each plan needs to be tailored to suitthe particular company or site.

E Many of the ideas in this guide will showthe possible costs and savings of variousmeasures. In terms of costs per head, acomprehensive transport plan in the USA

has been found to cost about 30 dollars peremployee per year, but many schemes canalso result in savings.

COSTS AND SAVINGS

32

Commitment from senior management

E A senior manager should be delegated toimplement the strategy.

E A travel plan should be part of the decisionmaking strategy and supported at boardlevel. It may be a stand alone document orincorporated into the company’senvironmental plan.

Initial review

E This is a vital step and may include surveysof fleet costs and maintenance, employeehabits and attitudes, the site and itsfacilities, the available alternatives such aslocal passenger transport, and movementsof vehicles on and off the site duringworking hours.

E The results of the initial surveys can lead tothe identification of targets for changes tojourneys and use of transport.

Gaining wider support

E It is important to involve staff and theunions at an early stage to explore theissues and gain ownership of the project.

E A travel survey can be a good way ofdeveloping staff understanding of theissues. Other measures used have been aninformation point, exhibitions such astransport fairs or incorporation into an‘earth day’.

E Consider beginning an ongoing publicitycampaign.

Finance

E Many changes may need some initial ‘pumppriming’ and others, such as transportsubsidies, can have longer term implications.

E Larger firms may want to appoint a travelco-ordinator.

E There will be a cost to surveys andmonitoring.

Implementation

E Companies operating on a business park orindustrial site may want to work together todevelop and implement plans. This canensure that individual strategies relate toeach other and can also spread theresources needed.

E Local councils, the Chamber of Commerceand local transport operators may also beable to help. Many local councils andChambers of Commerce have transportcommittees that will already be looking atsome of these issues.

E A publicity campaign will be needed both tospread and maintain awareness of transportissues and also to let everyone know aboutchanges and improvements to facilities onsite and local services.

Evaluation and reporting

E Consider regular evaluation of the scheme.Exact measurements are not always possiblebut it can be valuable to try to quantify thebenefits and report measures and successes.

E Monitoring results can be included in theannual report or a separate environmentalreport. Stakeholders and other partners willwant to know how the plan is progressing.

E Consider letting the local press know aboutsuccesses.

The main stages in developing a company travel plan are:

CASE STUDIES

Bromwall is a company located in OldHatfield specialising in commercial insuranceand employing ten staff. They have alreadyput in place a number of policies leading to aGreen Travel Plan.

E they employ staff from either theimmediate locality or where there is accessby suitable passenger transport and theydo not employ staff who live beyond a tenmile radius of the office.

E homeworking is encouraged to reducetravel to work mileage, wherever possible.

E the company does not pay expenses forprivate vehicles for travelling to centralLondon or other areas where satisfactorypassenger transport is available.

E there is lockable storage for bicycles.

E as an insurance intermediary, they supportthe principle of safe driving, particularly inadhering to the speed limit and drivingwithin the limitations of the roadconditions. To this end the company hascommitted itself to the ‘Kill Your Speed’driver initiative.

As part of the European ADAPT programme,Hertfordshire Business TravelWise hasbeen working with clusters of small andmedium sized businesses around the countyto create site specific Green Travel Plans.

One cluster of six companies in Hatfield hasbeen working together for nine months. Thesite has problems with the level of parkingprovision leading to displaced parking innearby residential roads. The six companiesrange in size from 10 to 200 employees, andeach business is represented on a steeringgroup which is facilitated by the BusinessTravelWise co-ordinator.

The steering group meets regularly and has:

E agreed a set of objectives

E produced a regular newsletter focusing onthe problems and opportunities of aGreen Travel Plan

E carried out and analysed a travel survey ofall employees

E collected data on movement patterns inand around the site

E developed a draft plan with targets fordifferent types of transport on the site

E created a series of activities designed toraise staff awareness using working groupslooking at particular transport modes.

Hertfordshire TravelWise ran a series ofseminars for the public on attitudes totransport. These found that, although mostpeople will refer to passenger transport astheir first alternative, there is a considerableamount of informal car sharing on a regularbasis for work journeys. The advantages ofthe informal systems is that the sharers canfeel comfortable with them and not coerced

in any way. Their main disadvantage is thatthey can reduce the available pool of sharersfor others to share with.

One of the biggest obstacles to car sharingschemes in business is that the initial reactionof potential sharers is that they will berequired to share every day. It is important tostress that sharing for one day a week canstill have a significant effect on transport.

33

SAMPLE STAFF SURVEY FORM

34

The survey form15 may be used for any organisation, but you may want to add or remove questions tosuit particular circumstances.

Consider putting all completed surveys in a prize draw to encourage staff to respond.

Be aware that the time of year when the survey is conducted may influence the outcomes - for examplemore people are likely to cycle in the summer.

1. Home postcode .........................................

2. Gender:■■ male ■■ female

3. Job title and grade:

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

4. Age:■■ under 25 ■■ 25 - 34 ■■ 35 - 44 ■■ 45 - 54■■ over 55

5. Do you have a disability which affectsyour travel arrangements?■■ yes ■■ no

6. Usual or main place of work:

..........................................................................

7. How many days in an average weekdo you work?

..........................................................................

8. Do you usually work?■■ out of hours e.g. nights■■ normal working day■■ other (please specify)

..........................................................................

9. How do you travel to work?Occasionally Once or Three or Five or

twice a four times more times a week a week a week

Car - as driver................■■ ■■ ■■ ■■Car - as passenger.........■■ ■■ ■■ ■■Train ..............................■■ ■■ ■■ ■■Bus .................................■■ ■■ ■■ ■■Cycle ..............................■■ ■■ ■■ ■■Walk - whole journey ..■■ ■■ ■■ ■■Motorcycle ...................■■ ■■ ■■ ■■No journey - telework..■■ ■■ ■■ ■■or work from home

Other (please specify) ..■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

..........................................................................

10. How far do you travel to work?

■■ Up to one mile ■■ 1 - 2 miles■■ 2 - 4 miles ■■ 4 - 10 miles■■ 10 - 20 miles ■■ more that 20 miles

11. How long does it currently take youto get to work?

■■ 0 - 15 mins ■■ 16 - 30 mins■■ 31 - 60 mins ■■ 61 - 90 mins■■ more than 90 mins

12. Which of the following changeswould encourage you to cycle to work?(Please tick no more than two)■■ Improved cycle paths on the journey to

work■■ Improved cycle parking at workplace■■ Improved cycle changing facilities and

storage lockers at work■■ Arrangements to buy a bicycle at a

discount or loan finance for bicycle

■■ None

■■ Other (please specify)

..........................................................................13. Which of the following changeswould most encourage you to usepassenger transport for your journey towork? (If you already travel to work bypassenger transport, which would youmost like to see?)(Please tick no more than two)■■ More direct bus routes■■ More frequent bus service■■ Better lighting at bus shelters and

workplace footpaths■■ Discount tickets/passes available at work■■ More convenient bus drop off points■■ Better connection to work from the station■■ Better connection from home to the station■■ Passenger transport information■■ None■■ Other (please specify)

..........................................................................

15 The suggested form is basedon models by T2000, GreaterManchester PassengerTransport Unit andLancashire County Council.

14. What are your main reasons for usinga car to get to work?

■■ Car essential to perform job

■■ Dropping/collecting children

■■ Get a lift

■■ Health reasons

■■ Lack of alternative


..........................................................................

15. Where do you usually park?

■■ At work site

■■ Free parking in nearby street

■■ Paid parking in nearby street

■■ Paid parking in commercial car park

16. Would you be prepared to car share?

■■ Yes ■■ No

If your answer is no, please say why

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

17. Which of the following would mostencourage you to car share? (Please tick no more than two)

■■ Help in finding car share partners withsimilar work patterns

■■ Free taxi home if let down by car driver

■■ Reserved parking for car sharers

■■ Reduced car parking charges for car sharers

■■ None of these


..........................................................................

Do you have any comments about yourtravel to work patterns?

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

..........................................................................

Thank you for your co-operation. Please be assured that all your answersremain confidential.

Please return this form to

Name :..............................................................

At......................................................................

By......................................................................

35

SAMPLE GREEN TRAVEL PLAN

AimsE Ethos and vision of the company

E Overall transport aims of the company

E Overall aims of the plan and how it will beimplemented

E Brief statement of actions and targets

IntroductionE Location

E Type of site

E Where staff are travelling from and existingtravel patterns

E Any particular issues and problems

E Any development plans which mayinfluence future traffic to the site

E General aims and objectives of plan

BackgroundResults of staff survey:

E How staff come to work at present

E What secondary modes of transport areused

E Alternatives that could be used

E Reactions to alternatives (if known)

E Where staff live to show distances and anyconcentrations of staff coming fromparticular areas

Results of property and fleet surveys:

E Fleet and pool size and availability - howthese are allocated and costed

E Availability and cost of car parking

E Movements on and off site during workinghours

E Availability of other forms of transport and the facilities for them (e.g. cycling,passenger transport)

E Staff facilities for business journeys -reimbursement for car use, central purchaseof rail or aeroplane tickets, cycle allowancesetc.

Key TargetsE Develop and run staff consultation on issues

and promotional campaign

E Installation of facilities for other transportmodes

E Installation of facilities for ‘non-transport’options

E Increases in other transport modes

E Reduction in car journeys for commuting.

E Reduction in car journeys on business.

E Prioritise key actions

ActionsE This section can list the detailed activities

and targets that will be needed. These maybe divided by mode, following the sectionsin this guide.

E Establish review periods and an indication offuture developments.

E Include financial and staff resourceimplications with clear responsibility andmilestone times for each action

EvaluationE How often will monitoring be carried out?

E How will changes be monitored?

E Timeline for the process and the work to tiein with the targets

E Overall transport change targets linked to atimeline

E How will changes be reported/implemented?

E Date for review

36

Generallnformation

Changing attitudes to travel in recent years,and the introduction of company travel planshas led to debate about the role of tax inpromoting transport policy.

In April 1999 some changes in the transporttax regime were introduced. In brief, these are:

E Removal of tax from works buses with 17 ormore seats used for the journey to or fromwork.

E Removal of tax from general subsidies topublic bus services used for travel to work,providing employees pay the same fare asthe public.

E Removal of tax from bicycles and cyclesafety equipment made available for travelto and from work and from bicycle parkingat work.

E Cyclists who use their own bicycles in thecourse of their work will be able to claimcapital allowances on a proportion of thecost of the bicycle.

E Employers may pay up to 12p per mile tostaff using their own bicycles for business,alternatively employees may claim tax reliefof 12p per mile if the employer provides nopayment.

E ‘Emergency lift home’ fares for car sharersmay now be paid tax free by employers.

Where a business pays corporation or incometax:

E The running costs of green travel plans maybe tax deductible.

E Some capital items such as showers forcyclists may qualify as capital deductions forPlant and Machinery Allowance.

Additionally:

E There is no tax charge on offering extra paidholiday.

E Staff are not usually liable to tax as benefitin kind on computers loaned by employersfor staff working from home.

37

GENERAL GUIDES AND INFORMATION

TAX & GREEN TRAVEL

‘Preparing your organisation fortransport in the future: The benefits ofGreen Transport Plans’ - (Department ofthe Environment, Transport and the Regions,London, 1999.) DETR Free Literature, PO Box 236, Wetherby LS23 7NB. Tel: 0870 1226236; fax: 0870 1226237quoting ref: 99ASCS0174A.‘Road Transport and Health’ - BMAScience Department. (British MedicalAssociation, 1997. ISBN 0 7279 1197 X)‘The Green Office Manual’ - Wastebusters Ltd. (Earthscan Publications,1997. ISBN 1 85383 447 5)

‘Companies and Cars - the way forward’The Ashden Trust, Department of Transportand London First, 1997. The Ashden Trust, 9 Red Lion Court, London, EC4A 3EF. Tel: 0207 410 0330‘Changing Journeys to Work’ -Transport 2000/London First. Transport 2000, The Impact Centre, 12-18, Hoxton Street, London N1 6NG. Tel: 0207 613 0743.‘All Aboard - a guide to transport bestpractice’ - BAA Heathrow and CBI.Confederation of British Industry, Centre Point, 103, New Oxford Street,London, WC1A 1DU. Tel: 0207 379 7400.

38

USEFUL ORGANISATIONSFor more information on HertfordshireTravelWise and Business TravelWisecontact:

Hertfordshire TravelWiseLilian GoldbergTravelWiseEnvironment Department, County Hall, Pegs Lane, HERTFORD, Herts SG13 8DNTel: 01992 556119 Fax: 01992 556169email: lilian_goldberg@hertscc gov.uk

Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and IndustryBarbara Kelly,Business TravelWiseHCCI, 45 Grosvenor Road,St. Albans, Herts AL1 3AWTel: 01727 813749 Fax: 01727 813694email: [email protected]

DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT,TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONSFor information on travel plans: www.local-transport.detr.gov.uk/gtp/index.htmFor general transport information:www.detr.gov.ukFor general advice and information:Zone 1/22, Great Minster House, 76,Marsham Street, LONDON, SW1P 4DR. email:[email protected]

DETR CAMPAIGNMass media campaign from DETR looking atsustainability issues including transport. Leaflets etc. from:‘are you doing your bit?’Merit House, Timothy’s Bridge RoadStratford upon Avon,Warwickshire CV37 9HYTel: 0345 868686For businesses wanting to get involved, tel: 0207 544 3131For information on sponsorship opportunities,tel: 0207 261 8866For general information:www.doingyourbit.org.uk

HEALTH EDUCATION AUTHORITY - Runs the‘Active for Life’ campaign to reach the six out often men and seven out of ten women who arenot physically active. Supports the use of walkingand cycling for short journeys.Health Education AuthorityHamilton House, Mabledon PlaceLONDON WC1H 9TXTel: 0207 413 2637

ALTERNATIVE FUELS - Information on convertingand running vehicles on alternative fuels.Electrical Vehicle Association Tel: 01273 304064Liquid Petroleum Gas Associationwww.lpga.co.ukNatural Gas Vehicles AssociationTel: 0207 355 5086

TRANSPORT 2000 - Promotes the spread oftransport good practice. Includes the HealthyTransport Network which co-ordinatesinformation for Health Trusts and Authorities tohelp the development of green travel plans. The Impact Centre, 12 - 18 Hoxton StreetLONDON N1 6NGTel: 0207 613 0743Fax: 0207 613 5280email: [email protected]

ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORTASSOCIATION - Organises Green TransportWeek and Car Free Day. Runs a vehicle rescueservice which includes cycle and motorcyclerescue services.10, Church StreetWEYBRIDGE KT13 8RSTel: 01932 828882Fax: 01932 829015www.eta.co.uk

The information in this book is presented in good faith. In this fast moving field, changes to data,practices and attitudes are bound to occur. Neither the authors nor Hertfordshire County Councilcan be held liable for any loss or damage arising from information given.

Printed on environmentally friendly paper

November 1999

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