'Reward' council staff for cycling to work
A staff travel plan is being considered by East Lothian Council in a bid to cut its carbon footprint and help the environment.
At a meeting of the cabinet, members heard that about 97,000 miles are driven each day by employees travelling to and from work.
Somewhere in the region of 12,000 is spent each day on fuel and almost 33,900kg of carbon dioxide is emitted daily by staff travelling by car.
A survey of workers concluded that:
20 per cent of car drivers said access to a pool vehicle would encourage them to walk or cycle to work;
14 per cent replied that improved shower and changing facilities spur them on to do likewise;
28 per cent felt that cheaper public transport tickets would be an incentive;
and 54 per cent agreed that a 'guaranteed lift home in an emergency' option would encourage them to car share.
David Evans, senior environmental and consumer services manager, said: "The draft travel plan contains a number of objectives for increasing the use of sustainable travel modes and reducing the number of driver-only car trips.
"In addition, there are targets for reducing staff business travel and carbon dioxide emissions from council fleet vehicles."
Business
Councillor David Berry, Council Leader, asked if any thought had been given to encouraging employees by "rewarding" them for coming to work on bicycles.
Mr Evans said a staff benefits package was being looked at, adding: "Whether there might be some allowance given for cycling or staff car sharing on business travel, perhaps a different mileage rate."
Full report appears in the East Lothian News and Musselburgh News, February 19, 2010
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW OR CLICK HERE TO SEND US AN EMAIL I am sure there will be scope to re-arrange and re-focus services to cater for these needs, even if there is less money going in overall.
“Reducing the need to travel is going to be a key element of this initiative and is tied in with other initiatives we are looking at - home working, hot desking, IT development and more flexible working arrangements generally.”
The council is hoping to; reduce carbon dioxide emissions for commuter and business travel by 25 per cent by 2014; cut the percentage of single occupancy car journeys to work from 64.7 per cent in 2007 to 40 per cent by 2016; increase car sharing from 14.2 per cent in 2007 to 25 per cent by 2016; and increase the use of walking, cycling and public transport by staff from 20.1 per cent in 2007 to 34 per cent by 2016.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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