A travel plan gives people a greater choice of travel options and is achieved by:
- Providing realistic alternatives to lone driving (also known as 'single occupancy car use').
- Making these alternatives more attractive.
- Reducing people's need to travel, for example through flexible working practices.
A workplace travel plan can address any or all of these:
- Commuter journeys.
- Business travel.
- Fleet management.
- Visitors to sites.
- Deliveries.
Why have a travel plan?
Having a travel plan allows an organisation to:
- Save money on the cost of running a fleet of vehicles, on mileage claims and other staff travel costs.
- Reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
- Improve staff health and well-being by encouraging modes of travel that promote fitness and relieve stress. This leads to increased morale and productivity levels.
- Reduce parking space demand.
- Improve accessibility to sites for staff (aiding recruitment and retention), customers and deliveries, reducing congestion on and around sites.
- Combat local pollution from traffic fumes, creating a better environment for people working and living in the area.
The Council's Corporate Travel Plan
Our Corporate Travel Plan (CTP) is based around five key targets. From a 2015 baseline, by 2020 the Council will:
- Increase the proportion of staff commuting using public transport by 8%.
- Increase the number of staff commuting by active travel modes by 5%.
- Reduce the number of single occupancy car trips to and from work by 15%.
- Reduce single occupant car business travel by 13%;.
- Reduce fleet fuel consumption by 5% and increase the use of public means business travel by 11%.
Results of staff travel surveys carried out to date show that good progress is being made towards these targets. Current Council initiatives that have contributed to these results include:
- The Company MetroCard scheme, providing discounted annual bus and rail tickets for staff.
- Take part in the West Yorkshire Travel Plan Network's Travel for Work project. This sees a series of month-long campaigns to encourage changes in staff travel behaviour.
- The Tax-Free Bike scheme (part of the Government's Cycle to Work Scheme). This makes bicycles available to Council employees at discounted rates, via a salary-sacrifice arrangement.
We continue to work on these projects to further the aims of the CTP:
- Improve facilities for cyclists, such as bike storage, changing and shower rooms, lockers for outdoor gear.
- Promote the various discounted travel schemes there are for staff.
- Promote Council travel policies to managers. Encourage a reduction in how often travel is made for business and lower essential business use of cars.
- Campaigns to target drivers, give information and encourage responsible car ownership. This includes ways of driving that are fuel efficient, hybrid cars and other fuels, as well as car sharing.
- Promote our Green Travel Routes, which offer alternative journeys to popular destinations around Calderdale.
- Investigate potential policy changes that will result in lower car use for travel on Council business.
Useful links
- Metro. This is the name used by the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. Metro is the professional transport coordinating body for West Yorkshire. It is staffed by officers experienced in transport planning and related disciplines.
- Sustrans. A sustainable transport charity working on practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport. Their aim is to reduce the adverse effects of motor traffic.
- Campaign for Better Transport. The independent national body concerned with sustainable transport. It looks for answers to transport problems and aims to reduce the environmental and social impact of transport. This is by discouraging car use and encouraging greater uptake of public transport, walking and cycling.
- Fleet and Travel Plans. The Energy Savings Trust (EST). EST work with industry, public sector and the community to meet emissions targets for the transport sector.