Travel plans

A travel plan is a package of measures and actions designed by a workplace, school or other organisation with the aim to encourage sustainable, safe and healthy travel options. By reducing car journeys, travel plans can improve health, wellbeing and contribute positively  to the community and environment. Every travel plan is developed and rolled out differently to suit the needs of the location.

We help local businesses and schools develop travel plans for employees and students that are environmentally friendly and can improve personal safety and health.

A workplace can choose to develop a travel plan at any time. They may also be required to create one as a condition of planning consent for an expansion or new development.

Here are some examples of things that might be in a workplace travel plan:

• improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists (showers, lockers and cycle parking)
• promoting and encouraging public transport use
• carpooling, flexible working and teleconferencing.

A workplace travel plan can be good for both businesses and staff. It can:

• encourage active and healthy travel by promoting walking and cycling. This can improve staff wellbeing, motivation, health and fitness, and reduce absence
• help you become a more attractive employer. Providing and encouraging different travel options will improve staff retention, productivity and recruitment
• showcase your commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This will boost your reputation with staff, key stakeholders and the local community
• reduce carbon emissions, and improve local air quality
• improve the image of your business. It can help you build a reputation as a ‘good neighbour’ and responsible business partner. This will enhance your organisation’s environmental and CSR credentials (increasingly important when competing for tenders). It can also help you achieve environmental accreditation (for example, Green Mark, ISO 14001, The Green Accord)
• save your business money. Managing your organisation's journeys better will reduce costs (mileage, staff expenses, car park charges, providing/ maintaining parking spaces, congestion charge, fleet management costs)
• increase your travel options. This can enhance business prospects as employees, visitors and customers have more ways of reaching you. It can also alleviate car parking pressures at your site, and ease delays to deliveries and movements of goods.

For more details on how we can support workplace travel plans get in touch roadsafety@walthamforest.gov.uk

Council initiatives

• Cycle Training: free cycle training for anyone who lives, works or studies in Waltham Forest
• Cycle Hire: free cycle and cargo cycle hire for anyone who lives, works or studies in Waltham Forest
• Cycle Hubs: secure cycle parking at stations across Waltham Forest
• Cycle Stands: request cycle stands in Waltham Forest
• Brompton Hire: folding cycle hire
• Affordable Cycle Purchase Scheme 
• Electric Vehicle Charging Points (available to those with no access to off-street parking)
• Car Clubs: Car Clubs operating in Waltham Forest  

External initiatives

• Travel Wise: national sustainable travel advice
• Modeshift: national advice for safe, active and sustainable travel in business, education and community settings.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: advice for employers
• Workplace Electric Charging Scheme: (available to businesses with off-street parking)
• LiftShare: lift-sharing savings calculator
• FORS: Fleet Operation Recognition scheme