Councils Get Smarter on Travel
West Somerset and South Somerset District Councils - have both been working at getting the most out of their travel alternatives this spring.
With West Somerset Council's (WSC) move to its new modern offices in Williton came the launch of its new travel plan, to help staff get to work by bus, walking, cycling and car sharing - as well as facilitating home working and motorcycling. Led by Jenny Genge and a team at WSC, the next stage of the travel plan involves setting targets to increase the smarter travel choices for commuting and business travel. All this achieved, despite WSC's less-than-urban location.
Measures so far have included:
- Dedicated car sharing parking (pictured, above)
- New cycle parking
- Showers for walkers and cyclists
- Smarter travel days for staff based in offices at Minehead and Williton, which included self-defence classes for walkers and cyclists
- Discounted bus tickets, and tax-and National Insurance-free cycle purchasing
- A new state-of-the-art smartcard system for prioritised car parking, to deter unnecessary travel by people in cars alone
March 31st has also seen staff at South Somerset District Council being involved in a Can You Travel Smarter? day, organised by Nigel Collins and his travel plan project team. Displays included a range of surprisingly attractive low-CO2 cars which fall below the 120g/km threshold from Citreon, Toyota, Volvo and Seat. Also on show and being tested by staff were electric cars, bicycles and motorbikes (pictured, below). A range of more traditional cycles were on display, too, from Rock & Road cycles in Yeovil. Somerset County Council's public transport and sustainability teams were on-hand to give advice, while video-conferencing was also demonstrated to staff.
- Both Councils have used the assistance available from Moving Somerset Forward to develop and market their travel plans to staff. If you would like similar help in your own organisation, or are a member of staff who would like to tell your employer more about smarter travel options, get in touch and you could soon be reaping the financial rewards.
