RoadSafe and NBTN target business leaders over business travel planning
Managing work-related travel and encouraging staff to travel sustainably enables businesses to save money, reduce their carbon footprint and improve their safety records...
The National Business Travel Network (NBTN) is a Department for Transport programme to take the message on the Government’s sustainable travel strategy to business. It aims to involve business as a stakeholder and partner in this strategy and to improve business’s understanding of sustainable travel. Its objective is to encourage business to take up, promote and develop workplace travel planning.
With work-related road safety increasingly recognised within leading companies as an important part of their travel planning considerations, the Government’s ‘Driving for Better Business’ programme, which is managed by RoadSafe, is now working with NBTN to target business leaders about business travel planning and safety.
Partnership
NBTN already works in partnership with other initiatives on sustainable travel, including the recently launched ACT Travelwise, the British Chambers of Commerce and the Confederation of British Industry. The network offers a series of quarterly events at which companies have an opportunity to learn about workplace travel plans. These events are free and provide business-to-business engagement on the detail of business travel planning, car sharing, cycling and walking to work schemes.
In addition, NBTN is currently running a series of regional workshops with the British Chambers of Commerce. Future workshops are due to be held on April 10 in Ipswich, April 17 in Newcastle and on June 5 and 18. Further details are available at www.nbtn.org.uk.
The workshops provide information and support on what businesses need to introduce travel plans. In particular, they will identify the various organisations which can help them implement travel plans or a strategy to become more travel efficient. Travel plans were introduced to the UK in the mid 1990s as a means to promote sustainable alternatives to the single occupancy car commute. Travel plan measures such as cycle and walking promotions, car share schemes, flexible and home working and improved public transport services have proven successful at reducing car commuting by an average of 14%.
Many large corporations have adopted travel plans as part of their core business processes and are now enjoying the benefits they have delivered, according to RoadSafe’s Michael Parish, who is working closely with NBTN. Companies that are members of NBTN include Asda, BMW, BSkyB, DHL, ICI, O2, Orange, Sainsbury’s and Vodafone.
However, the British Chambers of Commerce estimate that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 56% of all commuter and business travel and they have been slow to follow suit. The workshops are aimed at providing an opportunity for SMEs to learn from the large corporations. Additionally, NBTN is aligned with the Government’s ACT ON CO2 campaign. Although currently in its infancy, the campaign aims to be recognised as the Government voice and first port of call for public advice on climate change. It is to be the ‘golden thread’ that unites all Government communications on climate change issues, according to Mr Parish.
He said: “The network allows companies with a good record in travel planning to share their experiences and good practice with other companies. This helps promote the business case for travel planning because business is speaking to business.
“The business case is based on cost savings to companies in terms of car park provision, business travel, improved staff retention, productivity, safety and punctuality. In addition to the business benefit of greater efficiency and safety, the most significant benefit of travel planning is to staff. Travel plan schemes are popular.
Planning
“Companies with effective travel planning also enjoy a reduction in staff sick days as well as a more attractive recruitment package to attract high quality employees. Better staff health is achieved primarily through increased physical activity.
“Most importantly, travel planning reduces a company’s carbon footprint and lessens its effect on our environment. Significant benefits to corporate image and community relations can stem from the environmental achievements of a travel plan.”