Chapter Seven: Organisational Travel Plan Delivery
Introduction
7.1 This chapter considers the delivery of travel plans within large employers, through a series of case studies based on key organisations identified by local authorities. The interviews with local authority staff reported in Chapter 6 helped to establish how individual organisations had developed their travel plan and what progress had been made, the support available and the barriers and issues surrounding the development of a travel plan. This identified opportunities to undertake detailed consultation with specific organisations, identifying their views and comments from their experiences with the travel plan process.
7.2 Prior to discussing the findings of this stage of the study, it is of benefit to provide a brief overview of each organisation selected and their travel plan activity to date.
Gartnavel NHS
7.3 Located on Great Western Road in Glasgow, the Gartnavel Hospital travel plan was developed in response to a planning condition as a result of planning approval being given by Glasgow City Council for the development of a new hospital.
7.4 Discussions were undertaken with JMP, the transport planning consultants that provided assistance in the initial stages of the development of the travel plan for the new hospital site. Staff have been widely receptive of the Travel Plan, reflecting the value of consultation from the outset. Measures implemented to date include:
- On-site public transport information;
- Cycle storage facilities; and
- A car share database.
The hospital is in the process of appointing a dedicated member of staff for the travel plan.
7.5 Whilst staff and visitor surveys were undertaken for the development of the travel plan for development control purposes, survey results were not made available for this study. A follow-up travel survey is scheduled for January 2006.
Stirling University
7.6 Consultation was undertaken with Stirling University's Marketing Manager for the Estates and Campus Services Department, who along with the Director of Estates and Campus Services is responsible for progressing the University's travel plan.
7.7 Located approximately two miles to the north of Stirling town centre, Stirling University has approximately 9000 students and employs in excess of 1700 people. It implemented a travel plan in 2003/04, primarily in response to increasing traffic and associated congestion levels within the campus.
7.8 Measures introduced to date include:
- Barrier/parking permit system;
- Web based car share scheme;
- Discounted public transport tickets; and
- Changing and storage facilities for cyclists.
Fife Council
7.9 The Fife Council travel plan was discussed with the same representatives identified in Chapter 6, as it was also their responsibility to progress the local authority's own travel plan.
7.10 Having developed experience in School Travel Plans, there was a desire by Fife Council to extend the idea within a business and community context, commencing with a travel plan for Fife Council itself. A staff travel survey questionnaire was completed in 1999, leading to the adoption of a travel plan in 2000. The travel plan was initially adopted on an area-wide basis incorporating all council offices within Fife; however, it was recognised that this was too extensive, and now the travel plan is developed and implemented on an area basis in accordance with the Council structure. Within each area there is a travel plan group which is responsible for addressing its own travel plan with assistance where necessary from the central/strategic transport planning section in Glenrothes.
7.11 Measures implemented to date include:
- Provision of shower and storage facilities for cyclists;
- Employee vouchers for business travel on Stagecoach services;
- 'Bums off Seats' walking initiative;
- 'Love Your Journey' leaflet series; and
- Development of car share software,
7.12 Taking the car share initiative further, Fife Council initially approached SESTRANS with a view to developing a database over the partnership area. This has now grown to SESTRANS working in partnership with WESTRANS to establish a car share database for Central Scotland, which Fife Council plan to brand at a local level as a Fife car share scheme within their own travel plan.
Dyce Business Park
7.13 Consultation was held with the Transport Manager of Vipre, who has been commissioned to oversee the development and implementation of the travel plan for Dyce Business Park and the development of Dyce Transport Management Organisation Limited (Dyce TMO).
7.14 Dyce Business Park is located approximately six miles to the north of Aberdeen City Centre, and is located in close proximity to Aberdeen airport as well as within the residential community of Dyce, resulting in a complex set of transport issues. Access issues and staff recruitment problems resulting from poor public transport links and high levels of congestion have raised awareness amongst local businesses of the transport issues within the Dyce area and the need to address these. Aberdeen City Council and NESTRANS encouraged the set up of the first meeting with Businesses in January 2004, including financial support. This was followed by a series of further meetings to develop the idea of funding an organisation to manage the development of the travel plan.
7.15 Dyce TMO Limited was established on 31 March 2005, with an official launch in May 2005. The company has been established as a 'not for profit' organisation and is the first of its kind in the UK. There are three company directors, with a management team comprising representatives from the local business partners.
7.16 Prior to the establishment of Dyce TMO a travel plan for the Dyce area (businesses and local community) was formally published in January 2005. Within Dyce companies are to be actively encouraged to contribute to the organisation (at £5 per full time employee equivalent for 2005-2006) to enable the Dyce TMO to be self financing.
7.17 Modal share data for employees working within Dyce TMO had not been established at this stage in the development of the travel plan; however, it was intended that travel to work data would be collected once the administration elements of the Dyce TMO had been established.
7.18 Measures implemented to date include:
- Travel information website for Dyce;
- Car share database (Liftshare); and
- Appointment of Dyce TMO Transport Manager.
Overview
7.19 The travel plans of three of the organisations consulted were of a voluntary nature (Stirling, Fife and Dyce), and arose primarily in response to congestion and parking related issues. In the case of Gartnavel, the travel plan was a conditional requirement of a planning condition issued by the relevant local authority. However, the organisation recognised the benefits of developing and implementing an initiative of this nature.
7.20 Where there was a dedicated travel plan officer to take forward the travel plan greater progress had been achieved, as in the cases of Fife Council and Dyce TMO. This was further endorsed where the travel plan concept was a high priority on the management agenda of each particular establishment.
7.21 Unsurprisingly all the organisations consulted reported that 'soft' measures were more widely accepted by employees in contrast to restraint measures. Examples of the former include:
- provision of changing and storage facilities for cyclists;
- car share schemes;
- discounted public transport tickets; and
- publication of public transport information.
7.22 Restraint measures primarily centred on parking management strategies, including the introduction of a barrier and permit system at Stirling University.
7.23 The travel plans of those organisations consulted were largely at the early stages of implementation and not sufficiently advanced to comment on their success or otherwise.
7.24 There was consensus amongst those businesses/organisations consulted that consultation was a critical factor in the travel plan process, and this in turn encouraged a greater level of support amongst employees to the travel plan concept and different initiatives promoted within the travel plan. Consultation permitted employees to 'buy into' the travel plan from an early stage and participate in developing initiatives and measures for inclusion.
7.25 There appeared to be little awareness of any guidance at national or local level to encourage the development of travel plans. For example, no reference was made to the Scottish Executive's 2002 booklet 'Travel Plans: An Overview'.
7.26 The key barriers and issues identified as part of this section of the study can be summarised as follows:
Resources (Staff and Financial)
- Lack of resources, particularly in terms of personnel to take forward the travel plan within the organisation, which can impact upon overall success.
- The travel plan process requires a structured approach but this is not always possible due to resource constraints, and consequently the process can become ad hoc, with the travel plan being less effective in achieving what it sets out to do.
Commitment
- The importance given to the travel plan by senior management within an organisation can in turn impact upon the overall weight the concept is given by the company and the success or otherwise of measures and initiatives implemented (evident at Fife Council and Dyce TMO, where senior management 'buy in' has occurred).
- Lack of transparency from the public sector in terms of what they themselves are doing in a travel plan context for their own office locations.
Awareness
- There was a lack of awareness of business benefits from implementing a travel plan.
Guidance
- There was felt to be a lack of guidance detailing requirements of a travel plan, and essential elements of a good plan. However, this may partly reflect a lack of awareness of available guidance, since some information is available from the Scottish Executive and DfT.
Policy and Legislation
- There is often limited monitoring and ongoing review following implementation of a travel plan, with local authorities not possessing statutory powers to request reports of this nature.
7.27 The key solutions and recommendations identified in the discussions to address issues of greatest significance can be summarised as follows:
- The need to raise awareness of travel plans, by the Scottish Executive promoting and endorsing the merits of travel plans. Public bodies need to lead by example to encourage the private sector to do the same.
- The need for resource support to enable organisations to take forward their travel plans.
- Creation of a support network, led by the Scottish Executive, to enable dissemination of knowledge and experience amongst different organisations actively involved in the travel plan process;
- The need for guidance outlining the travel plan process from an organisation's perspective.
- Incentives to become involved, for example by encouraging companies to incorporate travel plans within their Environmental Management Systems, for which they can seek ISO accreditation. This would in turn provide greater commitment in the short to long-term towards a company travel plan.
7.28 It can be seen that the issues raised mirror very closely those identified in discussions with local and regional authorities, with resources, awareness raising and the need for guidance featuring strongly. Specific ideas for incentives to encourage participation were identified, as well as the idea of a support network where knowledge can be accessed and shared.
Summary
From discussions with organisations involved with travel plan delivery, it is evident that travel plan activity is primarily in the early stages of development, with only one organisation (Fife Council) having implemented monitoring procedures in the form of a follow up staff travel survey.
There was a consensus amongst those consulted on a number of issues, including:
- The importance of raising awareness about the travel plan process and its costs and benefits
- The need for clearer guidance
- The need for investment in resources and support
- The need for incentives to encourage participation.
The issues raised mirror closely those identified through discussions with local authorities.