Travel plans

A travel plan is a package of site-specific measures to improve the choice of travel options available to staff both for business and home to work trips. Making changes in the way we work can also reduce the need to travel in the first place.

Business travel plans

A business travel plan aims to make alternative travel options easier with steps such as providing showers and secure bike storage for cyclists, subsidising bus or rail season tickets and promoting car sharing. Car sharing is a great alternative to travelling alone in your car and can save you money, help the environment and brighten up your journey to work.

For more information download the travel plan guide below.

Green transport plans

Dependant on your own needs, a green transport plan could include:

• Improved public transport information
• Staff discount bus travel cards
• Rail season ticket loans
• Car-sharing or pool bicycles
• Cycle allowances
• Bike stands and storage areas
• Showers and changing facilities
• Flexible working hours
• Online business or video conferencing
• Staff bus service
• Smaller pool cars for business travel

For more information download the green transport plan guide below.

Steps to success

• Be realistic. Your plan must offer staff practical alternatives that they can use on a flexible basis.
• Get senior management committed. Senior management must promote the objectives and benefits of the plan and take a lead. This encourages staff to follow their example.
• Consultation, consultation, consultation! Find out about existing staff travel behaviour and what staff may be prepared to do in the future.
• Allocate resources: You'll need to allocate staff time to set up and manage your travel plan, with possibly a small budget for staff travel surveys, publicity and marketing. Also, you'll need to pay for new measures arising from the staff travel survey, e.g. a new cycle store, shower area or subsidised bus passes (but this can be offset by savings elsewhere).
• Really get things moving, invite staff representatives to meet periodically to take things forward and increase awareness amongst staff - make sure you've got a cross section of staff represented.
• Set realistic targets. To ensure momentum is achieved, staff will need to set targets that can be worked towards. E.g. "In a year's time, we aim to have reduced car trips to work by 10 per cent".
• Promote it! You need to win hearts and minds - immediate reaction may be dismissive so the benefits need to be sold. Use staff notice boards or magazines.
• Monitor your success. Developing your travel is an on-going process and monitoring will be key in this development process. This will help you to adapt your plan as and when circumstances change.
• Publicise your success. Use the local press and tell local employers what you are doing.