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Setting up a car share scheme or belonging to a car club or can help your business to rethink its approach to work-related travel, with cost savings and benefits for the environment. Workplaces can benefit from encouraging a different approach to travelling and therefore more use of public transport, walking and cycling.
This
webpage explains how your workplace can use cars more
efficiently in two different ways: by encouraging employees to car
share for individual journeys or commuting and by joining a car
club which provides short-term vehicle hire.
Rethinking car use can help a workplace to:
Car clubs and car sharing can unlock the potential of a travel plan by making other schemes viable. They can not only achieve a reduction in lone driver commuting, but can also achieve an increase in use of public transport, walking and cycling as employees realise the possibilities of different transport modes.
Staff
can be encouraged to share their journeys, whether it be for
commuting or for work purposes, using either a private or car pool
car. Car sharing can be organised simply, using a list of journeys
and drivers (the-map-on-the-wall model) or for larger (or
multiple) organisations via an internet database of places, people
and routes. This can be either restricted to matching people
within the workplace or widenened to include other local or even
national carsharers. The process of creating the database and
branded marketing can be managed by specialist companies.
How
can car sharing help?
Reducing
the number of parking spaces required.
This can free up car park space for alternative uses, such as
providing an outside seating area, cycle parking or green
space by cutting down amount of parking spaces needed
Reducing
congestion.
A
successful car share scheme could dramatically reduce the
number of vehicles entering and leaving the site and reduce
jams at peak times. Congestion will also be reduced in nearby
streets.
Improving
staff morale.
Carsharing gets sharers talking and reduces the stress of lone
commuting. Informal business meetings can even be held while
commuting. Some workplaces have also found that punctuality
is improved
How
employers can support car sharing:
Car clubs provide use of cars when needed for
the workforce, for business meetings, site visits etc.
Once a scheme is set up the only costs are for actual use,
mileage and time.
Download
Car Clubs at Work guide (pdf 289kb)
A
workplace could become a member of an existing car club which
already operates in the local area. It might be possible to
‘block book’ certain cars during office hours so that they
are always reserved when employees need them.
Cars
are booked by staff directly on the telephone or internet and
itemised invoices are provided for employers. “We
used to give out company cars and when they were older
than four years they became pool cars, but they have
become a pain because we are constantly maintaining them. We are implementing an
environmental management system and we asked ourselves if
we could buy greener cars. One of our users told us about
WhizzGo. It is a saving using them for visiting sites and
client meetings but we are also trying to promote green
methods of transport.” Arup
Leeds office manager
Holding
regular or one off events will help to maintain interest in
the project: Encouraging
cycling and walking. Every person who doesn’t drive in frees
up space both on the road and in the car park. Ensuring
that safe walking and cycling routes are available. Provide
maps if required. Provide showers and secure storage areas.
Providing
public transport maps and timetables to employees at
commencement of employment and on a regular basis thereafter.
The provision of a car club for business
and private usage can be seen as a bonus for employees.
Information on the club should be provided when recruiting to
introduce the concept to new staff and can also help with
staff retention issues.
A
car club operating company could be approached to start a
dedicated car club on the site. In order to make this viable
there would need to be either a critical mass of employees
wanting to use the club or the cars could be made available to
people living nearby out of office hours.
Car
club operators cover all aspects of vehicle maintenance and
repairs. If switching from using company pool cars, this will
free up time previously spent by the employer on
administration or fleet management.
In
some car club schemes, cars are made available to employees to
rent for private use outside office hours. This provides an
additional benefit for the staff and cuts the overall cost to
the organisation as the cars are raising revenue.
top
Other options which can complement responsible car use in the
workplace
Providing
employee bus/train passes, either at a reduced price or tax
free and the remaining cost taken from salary over the course
of a year.
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