> Aims of a Green Transport Plan
> Benefits
> Promoting alternatives
> Targets
> Monitoring
> Keys to success
> Useful information

A Green Transport Plan is a way by which organisations and business manage the transport needs of their staff and visitors. The aim of any plan should be to reduce the environmental impact of travel associated with work, whether by plane or car. The Plan should not be seen as anti-car. In certain situations the use of the car is required, as it is not feasible to use any other means of transport. However a Green Transport Plan encourages employees to use cars and plane travel more wisely whilst providing employees with incentives to use alternative modes of transport and communication.

The Green Transport Plan includes a range of measures to address different transport needs of the office:

• Staff commuter journeys.

• Customers and visitors to your office or events.

• Staff travel whilst at work.

• Management and purchase of company vehicles.

Aims of a Green Transport Plan

It is important that you communicate the aims of your plan and stress the benefits to both business and to the environment.

Your aims should include the following:

• To reduce reliance on the car through the reduction in the length and number of motorised journeys, in particular, those journeys carried out in single occupancy vehicles.

• To promote the use of alternative means of travel which are more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

• To reduce emissions and encourage the purchase of energy efficient vehicles.

• To encourage work practices which reduce the need to travel.

The adoption of a Green Transport Plan for the office will serve as an example for other organisations. In addition the work can be used to encourage the wider adoption of Plans throughout the community.

Benefits

The introduction of a Green Transport Plan can:

• Make local communities less congested and more accessible.

• Reduce local pollution levels of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen monoxide, ozone and particulates (PM5 and PM10s).

• Reduce climate change gas emissions.

• Enabling deliveries and essential journeys to move more freely within the community.

• Provide equal opportunities by providing travel incentives to all in the organisation and supporting those employees without access to a car.

• Offer wider travel choices to staff.

• Provide long-term savings in reduced business travel costs.

• Help employees to be healthier, fitter and more productive. 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise, such as cycling or brisk walking, protects many against ill health.

• Improve the environmental image of your office.

Promoting alternatives

By Public Transport

• Prepare a public transport pack with prices and times of routes taken to work and on work business.

• Make a policy to use public transport for business purposes.

• Be understanding of people arriving late because of bus or train delays.

• Arrange a taxi for staff using the bus for times when they may work late.

• Provide salary advances to pay for season tickets.

The Bike

• Give a free cycle helmet.

• Provide free cycle proficiency training.

• Set up an equipment pool of lights, reflective clothing and accessories.

• Make battery or light chargers available in the office to charge up batteries during the day.

• Put up a cycling notice board for routes, bike repairers and organisations.

• Provide incentive schemes, salary advances to buy bikes on instalments.

• Buy an office bike and link up with a local bike store for regular maintenance.

• Install shower and changing facilities during office refurbishment.

• Provide mileage allowance for cyclists.

• Provide a secure place at work to store bikes.

On Foot

• Promote the benefits of walking to work for those who travel short distances by car. Without targeting specific people it may be possible for some to walk. Provide posters and leaflets from relevant organisations.

The Car

• If your office uses a car for regular essential journeys promote good driving techniques. Simple techniques can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 25%.

• Ensure regular maintenance to maintain fuel efficiency and vehicle longevity.

• If you buy new, buy small, fuel-efficient models.

• Consider pooling car use with other organisations or joining a local Car Club.

• Consider converting existing vehicles to use Liquid Petroleum Gas.

Couriers

• Use cycle couriers for delivering small items within the town or city.

• Some couriers also have gas-powered vehicles for longer journeys.

Audio and video Conferencing

• If office staff has to regularly meet with other regional/national offices consider using web based or audio/tele-conferencing as an alternative to travel by plane. Long-term financial savings can offset initial equipment and training costs. By reducing business air travel your office can avoid adding to the several negative impacts of the increasing use of cheap short haul flights. Air travel is a significant contributor to levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, noise pollution and adds to the combined warming potential of CO2, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and vapour due to the release and residence of pollutants emitted at high altitude.

Targets

Establish targets for your office and monitor their success over a set period. For example:

• The introduction of Plans throughout the organisation to review and alter accordingly existing travel patterns.

• A 15-20 % reduction in car borne commuting in the initial year of the plan, therefore increasing the proportion of employee commuter trips by modes of transport other than single occupancy cars.

• A zero short-haul flight policy within three months.

• No increase in the number of parking permits/spaces for employees, in the future an annual reduction in permits/parking spaces.

Monitoring

Identify current staff transport patterns by conducting a sample survey. Having formed your travel plan, identify actions that can be put in to effect immediately.

Repeat the survey to monitor the success or hurdles of your Green Transport Plan.

Keys to Success

There are several keys to the successful development and implementation of a Green Transport Plan. These include:

Commitment from Management
Green Transport Plans involve changing established habits and working practises. To achieve staff co-operation it is essential for senior management to promote positively the wider objectives and benefits of the Plan. Senior management should lead by example. This commitment includes the provision of the necessary resources to develop and implement the Plan, beginning with the introduction of the 'carrots' or incentives for changing travel modes.

Communications
Good communications are an essential part of the Green Transport Plan. It will be necessary to explain the reason for adopting a plan, promote the benefits available to staff and provide plenty of information about the alternatives.

Building Consensus
It will be necessary to obtain broad support for the introduction of the Green Transport Plan from staff. It is essential that concerns are listened to and that any proposals are drawn up in a way to address any concerns as far as practical.

Allow time for staff to get use to a change in travel patterns, gather comments and monitor changes. Some changes will require more planning than others. Try not to do everything at once.

Useful Information

The table shows conversion factors for transport mode. This will enable your office to estimate CO2 emissions for each mile or kilometre travelled. (Source:Tyndall Centre for Climate Research http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/research/info_for_researchers/emissions.shtml).
The figures show the mass of pollutants in grammes emitted per passenger mile of travel.

Notes
Units = g/mile, multiply by 0.625 to get g/km
1g C emitted = 12/44g CO2

Assumptions
A mean of 200g CO2 per mile for Hybrid cars
All vehicles post-1997

content©FoE Scotland,2003
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