News
News Headlines:
Petrol price busting Car Sharing website goes live!
Cambridgeshire citizens can now beat rising fuel costs by sharing car journeys. A new car sharing website, CamShare.co.uk, is launched on National Liftshare day - Monday 9th June.
Travel for Work and Cambridgeshire County Council have commissioned the country’s leading car share company, Liftshare, to run the online scheme for members of the public and employers. The website is designed to reduce travel costs as well as cut congestion and pollution.
“I am delighted that CamShare is offering Cambridgeshire residents more choice about how they travel around the County,” said Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire County Council (above right). “Tackling climate change is a top priority for the Council and it is important to encourage travel by more sustainable means including car sharing, thus reducing the amount of CO2 emitted. I am very enthusiastic about car sharing, and the travel and environmental benefits that it offers – that our citizens will save considerable amounts of money by joining CamShare is the icing on the cake!”
Members of the public can sign up for free on www.camshare.co.uk. The process is simple and residents will search for others who are travelling the same route.
“We recognise that it is usually impossible for every journey to be shared. But even if journeys were shared just one day in five we’d see a huge 20% reduction in car traffic,” said Hannah Fox, Environment Manager at the County Council (above centre).
Mark Webb, Development Manager at the Travel for Work Partnership (above left) said:
“Employers across the County can also set up their own mini sites within the system so that their employees can car share with each other or employees from neighbouring companies.”
The launch of the scheme comes after Rosie Winterton, Minister of State for Transport said earlier this year: “I encourage employers to consider whether introducing a car sharing scheme for their organisation could help them reduce their carbon footprint and provide quicker, more convenient journeys for staff."
Nigel Brown, Chair of the Greater Cambridge Partnership, said: “At the GCP we often hear from employers about the nightmare of commuters or goods stuck in traffic. Whilst we are all keen to see improvements to public transport and the A14 improvements come on stream, simple solutions such as car sharing using the CamShare website are a no-brainer! I’d encourage all the county’s employers to sign up today!”
County residents and employers wanting more information on should log on to on to www.camshare.co.uk. Employers can also contact Travel for Work on 01223 712429.
(9 June 2008)
Travelling in a new direction - with less petrol!
Have you noticed increasing moans at work about the cost of petrol and journey times (average 45 mins – the longest in Europe!)? If so you will probably be worried that these valuable staff will be looking for employment that is easier to get to.
But your workplace IS easier to get to? For many of your employees car sharing, taking the bus, cycling or walking will get them to work more quickly and more reliably than driving alone.
And in many changing how they get work will mean inches off waistlines, but a bulging wallet! Basically a happier, healthier wealthier workforce = a more productive workforce.
The great news is that with very little resource you can make your site much more attractive to get to.
Save £s; Save CO2
A workplace travel plan is a package of measures that reduces the number of people travelling to a worksite alone by car. It does so by encouraging walking, cycling, car sharing and the use of public transport. Travel plans are attractive to businesses because they can result in substantial cost savings and other benefits including;
- a very economical way to tackling car park congestion, reducing the number of vehicles arriving on site
- Travel plans reduce business travel costs by encouraging use of less oil intensive forms of transport and a switch to 'smarter working'; eg. the use of video-conferencing equipment for meetings instead of writing off four hours by driving to a meeting. Or why not take the train and work on the way?
- Road traffic and consequently congestion are forecast to grow: we can expect an increase in car traffic of 53% by 2031. Journey times could also increase by 70%. Travel plans help keep the economy moving by reducing the number of cars on the road thus the costs of congestion will also drop.
- A travel plan is an easy addition to your green policies. The Government is due to set targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in the near future. Business having appropriate environmental policies (taking full account of transport impacts) will be at a great advantage.
- Staff health and well-being. Most alternatives to driving alone will increase the well-being of your staff, both physical and mental eg, a walk to the bus stop or a cycle to work; a chat to your car-share partner instead of cursing the congestion!
Lucky You!
Cambridgeshire employers are lucky! You have two well-respected organisations available to assist you with your travel plan initiatives.
The Travel for Work Partnership covers Cambridgeshire and the Travelchoice team covers the Peterborough City area. Both organisations have a menu of services and tools available from car share websites, to money for cycle stands. But perhaps the best resource on offer is the free expertise and experience of the two organisations.
Contact them today – you will be joining a whole network of organisations already well underway with ravel plans:
Travel for Work Partnership
www.tfw.org.uk
Tel:01223 712429
email: info@tfw.org.uk
Travelchoice Peterborough www.travelchoice.org.uk
Tel: 01733 747474
email Travelchoice@peterborough.gov.uk
New CamShare online 1st May!
Travel for Work is happy to announce that the new CamShare goes live today Thursday 1st May. Together with Cambridgeshire County Council TfW has appointed Liftshare.com to run the new CamShare. The new site has a slightly different address www.camshare.co.uk (links from the old address should still work).
The new CamShare will be officially launched in June. All existing members of CamShare have been transferred to the new system.
The new CamShare has several additional functions:
- Members of the public can now join for FREE
- You can now search for cycle journey matches as well as car share matches.
- the monitoring tools and statistical analysis available for business is excellent
We are confident that you will find the new CamShare an important tool in encouraging more car sharing. We will let our members know of plans for the CamShare launch as soon as they are firm.
Latest Changes to Bus Services
For changes to local services with effect from 26 May 2008 please see the information table available from our website.
Get your reward in Autumn 08!
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Travel Plan Awards will be held in Peterborough this Autumn.
Whether you have just starting out on the travel plan process, or are maintaining an established travel plan you could be eligible for an award in 2008.
If you would like to apply for an award please contact Mark Webb on 01223 712429 or email info@tfw.org.uk
More Cycle Shops Discounts
TfW is pleased to announce Cambridge based shops Ben Hayward Cycles and Howes Cycles have recently joined Cambridgeshire cycle shops in offering FULL TfW member employers discounts on their new bikes, accessories as well as parts used in their repairs service. To find out whether your employer is eligible for discounts view TfW Full Employers web page. To view discounts being offered by all shops please download our discounts poster.
Newsletter Published
Issue 20 - April 2008, of the newsletter is now published. Click here to download a copy of April's newsletter.
Take A Stand - Cash for Cycle Stands - Bidding window open until 30 June 2008
Cash for employee cycle parking is available through 'Take A Stand' initiative run by TfW and funded by Cambridgeshire County Council. An application form and guidance notes can be downloaded by right clicking the hyperlinks below and 'save as'
Application Form
Guidance Notes
TfL Workplace Cycle Parking Guide
Sustrans Cycle Parking information sheet
Please contact TfW on 01223 712455 for further information about this scheme and if you wish to make an application. Deadline for receipt of applications is Monday 30 June 2008.
Click here for a copy of the press release.
(08 May 2008)
Travel Plans Don't have to be Taxing?
FREE TfW network meeting
Held 18th March 2008 - Mott MacDonald, Demeter House, Cambridge CB1 2RS
The Travel for Work network meeting was all about the tax issues associated with travel plans. This is an important area of Travel Planning and one, for good reason, is difficult to understand.
Professor Stephen Potter from the Open University, an acknowledged expert in this area, gave the main talk at the event; his presentation is attached below.
Stephen has produced a very helpful and accessible (and mercifully short!) guide to this area of travel planning, which is downloadable below. A short biography of Steven is also attached.
In addition Katarina McCartney and Chris Jablonski gave employer presentations on how Addenbrooke's Hospital, and Huntingdonshire District Council chose their tax efficient cycle purchase scheme (presentations downloadable below).
We are grateful to TfW employer, Mott MacDonald for having sponsored this event and for the lavish buffet.
2007 TfW Survey - The best ever!
The 2007 travel to work survey saw 7,170 people from 28 organisations taking part - the best ever response. For the full picture click here for the TfW Survey 2007 results.
(03 Jan 2007)
Travel Planning Then, Now and into the future!
Travel for Work Conference - CANCELLED
It is with regret that the Travel for Work Partnership has had to cancel its conference that was due to take place 22nd November at Churchill College, Cambridge.
We have had too few delegates to make this a viable event.
The third annual Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Travel Plan Awards will however take place on the same day as planned. TfW is currently trying to find an alternative venue. We will let all attendees know once this has happened.
(3st Oct 2007)
CamShare Prize Draw!
during November 2007
CamShare, TfW's on-line car sharing data base www.camshare.info held a prize draw during the whole of November 2007.
Well done to the 5 lucky winners
- Val Bibbey at Cambourne Business Park who won a car safety pack £30
- Theresa Robinson & Liz Hawkins both of Cambridgeshire County Council each won £10 Marks & Spencer Voucher
- Michelle Riddick of Granta Park and Craig Thomas of Cambridgeshire County Council both won £10 WH Smith Card
The prize draw was open to new registrants and existing members who completed or up-dated their profile and searched for a car share match during November 2007.
CamShare is available to companies who have signed up to the scheme. If your company would like to have access please contact Mark Webb 01223 712429.
(31st Dec 2007)
Breakfast in the Antarctic!
TfW Breakfast Meeting:
Travel Plans and Climate Change
Attendees of the the latest TfW Network Breakfast held at and kindly sponsored by the British Antarctic Survey's (BAS) HQ in Cambridge, heard three extremely interesting and thought provoking presentations.
- BAS spoke about the research they are undertaking in the Antarctic into climate change and the initiatives they are implementing to reduce the environmental impact of the organisation.
- Papworth Hospital talked about why and how they have linked their new travel plan to the climate change agenda.
- And BEMS (Business Environmental Management Scheme) based in Peterborough spoke on how to link Travel Plans into wider environmental management schemes, such as ISO 14001.
We have had such positive feedback from the attendees of the breakfast that we are re-running the breakfast, allowing more time for the presentations and networking. So look out for details of the next breakfast to be held early next year.
To download these presentations please visit our case studies page.
(21 June 2007)
Newsletter Published
Issue 19 - May 2007, of the newsletter is now published. Click here to download a copy of May's newsletter.
PLEDGES TO THE SCIENCE OF TRAVEL PLANNING
Travel for Work has brought together big business and Cambridge transport chiefs to join together for the first time to pledge to make the daily commute more environmentally friendly.
Companies at the Cambridge Science Park have joined forces with the Travel for Work Partnership, the Highways Agency and Cambridgeshire County Council to launch Cambridge’s first Area Travel Plan.
Pledges were signed on Wednesday, May 2007, by these organisations committing them to helping to meet the aims of the plan. “The plan’s main focus is to encourage more cycling, walking, public transport use and car sharing over the next three years. A number of initiatives will be implemented to help commuters access more transport choices,” said David Abbott of the Highways Agency, which has funded the travel plan development stage.
For more information click here.
Get your reward in November!
We are very pleased to announce the 2007 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Travel Plan Awards.
Whether you have just starting out on the travel plan process, or are maintaining an established travel plan you could be eligible for an award in 2007.
“The Awards are a great way to get publicity for your efforts, and can be very motivating both for you and your staff,” said Richard Bettle at TfW. “So get in touch now to see which award you could get.”
The 2007 Awards ceremony will be held at Churchill College Cambridge on Thursday 22 November 2007.
If you would like to apply for an award please contact Richard Bettle or Mark Webb on 01223 712429 or email info@tfw.org.uk
TfW welcomes new partner
The Travel for Work Steering Group is delighted to welcome new group member, Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC).
“We have been grateful for TfW’s help in developing our own travel plan, and we know that the team is working with many of the larger employers in our district,” said Chris Jablonski, HDC’s Environment Team Leader. “We are looking forward to becoming more involved in running the TfW project.”
HDC will join other local councils, Cambridge City, South Cambridgeshire and the County Council, on the TfW steering group. HDC has also become a funding partner.
(3 April 07)
Travel Plan Power (Point) to download
Two members of the Travel for Work Partnership's network of employers gave very interesting presentations at the TfW and Chambers of Commerce joint breakfast meeting in February 2007.
The two very different companies showed us that any company of any size, of any type, can benefit from putting enthusiasm and effort into travel planning initiatives.
Mott MacDonald, is a national consultancy with 400 employees in offices near Cambridge railway Station has been a member of TfW for four years.
Marshall Group of Companies was one of the first companies to join TfW in 1998. The group is based at its Airport site on the eastern fringe of Cambridge, employing over 2,500 people.
Marshall's location, size and type of work could not be in greater contrast to the Mott MacDonald scenario.
To download these short interesting presentations visit the case studies page of this website.
(20 Mar 07)
CamShare Prize Draw held 6 Mar 2007
Three winners have been drawn from those who registered or up-dated their profile and searched on CamShare between 20th February and 5th March. Sarah Cooper of Cambridgeshire County Council, Gareth Norman of Global Graphics at Cambourne Business Park and an employee of Cambridge Consultants Ltd at Cambridge Science Park, have each won a WH Smith card to the value of £20.
TfW will shortly be running prizes for those car sharing. To enter the prize draw just click on www.camshare.info register and search to find a match or if you are car sharing up-date your profile.
If you have car sharing anecdotes, helpful hints or beneficial outcomes + photos to share with us we'd like to hear from you, please call 01223 712455.
(8 Mar 2007)
Employers to Chew Over Congestion:TfW & Chamber Breakfast - Friday 9th Feb 2007
company and contact details.
Press release:
Congestion is bad for business. Traffic is set to increase. Much needed road improvements, especially on the A14, are some time off. So what can be done to combat congestion now?
A special breakfast on Friday 9 February will give Cambridgeshire businesses ideas to help reduce congestion, save commuters’ time and money, help the environment and help the local economy.
The event at Cambridge City Airport is being run jointly by the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce and the Travel for Work (TfW) Partnership.
Two Chamber members, Marshalls of Cambridge and consultant firm Mott MacDonald will offer travel plan tips to fellow employers by drawing on their own experiences and successful travel initiatives. They will explain how and, importantly, why they have decided to implement schemes that help their employees get into work each day.
Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Community and the Environment will detail the County Council’s support for employers who undertake travel initiatives.
John Bridge OBE, Chief Executive of the Chambers of Commerce, who will also talk at the meeting, said:
“Increasing congestion on the roads is a growing concern for businesses and individuals across Cambridgeshire, not least because of the severe financial impact that it is having on those worst affected.
“Be it through lost hours due to staff finding themselves delayed on the roads, or penalties suffered due to missed delivery deadlines, businesses are quickly realising that something must be done sooner rather than later.”
Councillor Reynolds said :
“There has already been much good work undertaken by organisations in Cambridgeshire. If more employers get involved, together they will make a real impact on congestion. And the great news is that travel initiatives are fun and can greatly benefit the health of the company, the health of commuters, as well the health of the environment.”
Mark Webb, Development Manager at TfW, added:
“Over forty Cambridgeshire employers, with over 44,000 employees are already benefiting from promoting sustainable commuting. Even small and inexpensive schemes can make a real difference to the numbers of cars on the road. TfW can provide free advice and access to a raft of services that make travel planning easy.”
(19 Jan 07)
