Business Travel Plans
What is a business travel plan?
A business travel plan is a set of measures that provide your staff with more efficient and environmentally friendly options for travelling to work and travelling on business. A business travel plan should form part of any planning application that is likely to have significant transport implications in the borough. Walsall Council is committed to a target of 40% of local employees working for companies or institutions with their own travel plans.
Benefits of business travel plans
Reduced costs
The cost of providing and maintaining one parking space in Walsall town centre is estimated at £600 a year. Setting up a car share database and actively promoting car sharing will reduce demand for parking spaces and reduce your car parking costs. Your employees will benefit too. On average, car sharers save £600 a year.
Accessibility
A high proportion of working-age people in Walsall do not have access to private cars. This means that unless you provide other options for travelling to your site you may have difficulties recruiting and retaining local staff.
Health
Research suggests that employees who cycle to work lose fewer days through illness and arrive at work feeling more alert.
Enhancing your company's image
A travel plan can improve access to your site and reduce complaints about parking and traffic levels. It can also enhance your company's environmental image and make a positive contribution towards curbing noise and air pollution. A business travel plan can count towards your company's ISO 140001 accreditation.
Typical measures
Before you decide which measures to implement, a survey should be carried out of modes of transport used by your staff, their travel origins and destinations and the perceived/actual barriers to sustainable transport. For a travel plan to be effective it is important to involve staff and secure the support of senior management.
Typical measures include:
- Car share databases and priority parking spaces for car share vehicles
- Subsidized/discounted travel passes
- Secure bicycle stands and improved bicycle access
- Showers and changing facilities for cyclists
- Interest free bicycle purchase loans
- Flexible working schemes such as teleworking and compressed working to enable some staff to work from home one or more days of the week
- Pool cars/powered two-wheelers for work business
- On-site facilities such as a cash machine to reduce the need for journeys offsite
Company TravelWise
Company TravelWise was established by Birmingham City Council in 1998. Since its inception Company TravelWise has now been adopted by the seven Metropolitan authorities of the West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton). 
The aim of Company TravelWise is to assist employers to work with their staff in providing real alternatives to the car, especially in relation to journeys to work. There is no cost to join Company TravelWise, but affiliated companies sign a binding pledge;
To work towards reducing the environmental and congestion impact of our organisation's transport activities with particular reference to employee travel
Affiliated companies receive a number of benefits by signing up to Company TravelWise, these include:
- Professional advice and support from TravelWise staff
- A full employee travel survey analysis and postcode map
- Site-specific assistance in developing a company travel plan
- Accessibility assessment of company site (from Nov 2004)
- All public transport information and timetables
- A car park management plan for the employer
- Information on alternative practices, including flexi-working, videoconferencing, alternatively fuelled vehicles and cycling and walking practices.
- Possible improvements to public transport services to and from the workplace
Company TravelWise also has a network of ‘Support Companies' who provide related services and products to assist with the implementation of various elements of a Company Travel Plan. Many of these Support Companies offer discounts exclusively to Company TravelWise affiliated members and their employees. The discount and services offered can be on items including: -
- Public transport travel cards (up to 50% discount)
- Cycles and cycle stands
- Scooters and scooter training
- Green vehicle fleet management
- Car sharing databases and schemes
There are now over 20 companies signed up to Company TravelWise in Walsall; they employ 19% of the workforce.
Company TravelWise in Walsall as a service is available to all employers within the Borough, from either the public or private sector. These services are available free of charge.
We are always willing to talk to companies who feel they could become a part of our support company network. If you feel your company has a genuine service to offer the companies we work with, please contact us for more details. Please contact us by telephone 01922 652463 or email at companytravelwise@walsall.gov.uk if you wish to receive a TravelWise brochure.