• Home
• What is it
  • Why it was created
  • What we mean by ways2work
  • What it does
  • Who it's for
  • How to use it
  • The people behind it
  • Who has contributed
• Why do it
  • Reduce costs, improve resource efficiency
  • Reduce absence, improve productivity
  • Reduce carbon emissions, improve your reputation
• How to do it
  • Re-thinking commuting
  • Re-thinking business travel
  • Measuring and monitoring carbon impacts
  • Creating your ways2work plan
  • Creating a healthy workplace
• Who does it
• News
• Resources
• Members

• Re-thinking commuting
  • Commuting basics
  • What we could do differently
    • Encouraging cycling and walking for work
    • Commuting by rail
    • Encouraging work-related travel by bus and coach
      • Major UK bus and coach operators
      • Public transport benefits
    • Motorcycling for work
    • Re-thinking cars for work
  • Reducing commuting through ICT
• Re-thinking business travel
• Measuring and monitoring carbon impacts
• Creating your ways2work plan
• Creating a healthy workplace

Public transport benefits

Encouraging your employees to commute by bus can not only help your colleagues arrive at work less stressed, it will also reduce pressure on car parking spaces and reduce the carbon footprint of your company. Encouraging a modal shift from taking the car to taking buses and coaches can result in CO2 savings associated with the transport side of your business.

Steps employers can take

Here are some basic pointers for employers wishing to increase the use of buses and coaches by employees:

• Find out which bus routes run past (or near) your office. Bus routes and other public transport information is available from Traveline (www.traveline.info) on 0871 200 22 33
• Create a set of communication materials such as posters and flyers outlining which routes run near the office, their frequency and cost. Also highlight the benefits of taking the bus (e.g. reduced stress)
• Run promotions to encourage employees to travel by bus (e.g. free cup of coffee / breakfast)
• Offer other incentives such as an interest free loan to purchase a season ticket and speak to your local operator about any discounts they may be able to offer
• Provide shuttle buses between sites or key points such as city centres, rail stations, etc.
   

DSTL
has directly retained 37 employees through the provision of coach services for colleagues unable to relocate closer to their new site.

E.ON
provide an intersite coach between Nottingham and Coventry which has delivered:

• business mileage reduction of 74,490 miles, carbon reduction of 19.78 tonnes
• commuter mileage reduction of 97,565 miles, carbon reduction of 25.97 tonnes
• hire/mileage cost reduction of £23,584 and commuter mileage reduction of £24,391

E.ON’s focus on buses has also resulted in an increase of the numbers of employees using public transport locally from 40-45 to 110-115 daily at no additional cost to E.ON.

East Midlands Airport
in 2009 1.3 million passengers used the bus, saving 1800 tonnes of CO₂ and colleagues travelling to work by bus saved 650 tonnes of CO₂.

Sky
has funded five dedicated free shuttle bus routes, including buses to train and tube stations ensuring that the interchange between modes and getting to the site is seamless. There are also public transport season ticket loans available to all staff and Sky are working with TfL to introduce an Oyster card machine on-site. These buses support Sky’s policies to reduce work-related travel impacts and also supportive of their employees’ wellbeing.

Halcrow
12,300 bus journeys are subsidised each year by car parking charges.

Wellcome Trust
in 2009 CO₂ emissions were reduced by 121,429 tonnes and 1,206,034 car miles reduced through campus buses.

Heathrow Airport
working with bus operators, Heathrow Airport set up ‘The Heathrow Free Travel Zone’ which has been in operation for 9 years and allows the free use of public transport around the airport campus by staff, passengers and residents. Also, earlier and later running - and some 24 hour local bus services - have been negotiated with operators. By investing in bus services, Heathrow Airport is significantly reducing the numbers of cars coming to, and being parked at, the airport. 

Addenbrooke Hospital, Cambridge
increased bus use by employees from 4% to 25% in a 4 year period reducing the numbers of cars being brought to, and parked on, the hospital site.

COMPUTASHARE, Bristol
provide a free staff bus as part of their travel plan. This has helped staff retention. The buses are full every day and carry about 14% of employees.

Sky branded shuttle buses