TravelSmart Workplace Program

The department, in conjunction with local councils, works with businesses to establish TravelSmart Workplace Plans.

TravelSmart Workplace Plans are workplace-specific plans that change staff and organisation travel behaviour to use less polluting modes of transport.

In a workplace, transport is normally disorganised. Organisations are paying high costs without getting maximum benefit. Organising travel requires administrative time but the benefits are well worth it.

A TravelSmart Workplace Plan systematically looks at transport across the organisation and assesses where cheaper and more sustainable transport may be more suitable for both staff and the organisation.

The process is not about pressuring staff out of their cars. All potential changes are discussed with staff and management so that only effective and acceptable initiatives are compiled into an integrated TravelSmart Workplace Plan.

A well-designed TravelSmart Workplace Plan will benefit the

• employer
• employee
• local community.

Who will benefit from your travel plan? (word doc)

What kind of travel will a TravelSmart Workplace Plan address?

• Travel to and from work
• Travel undertaken by staff during the working day
• Visitors to your workplace
• Deliveries
• Fleet vehicles

The types and scope of travel addressed in the TravelSmart Workplace Plan will depend on the specific needs of the organisation.

Key principles of a successful TravelSmart Workplace Plan

Management support
One of the key elements of a successful TravelSmart Workplace Plan is senior management support. If the impetus for the development of the plan comes from the employees rather than the employers, having a well-developed business case helps senior managers understand how the organisation and its employees can benefit.

Staff surveys
Successful TravelSmart Workplace Plans base goals for change on what the current situation is regarding travel. By asking staff what they are doing, realistic goals can be set for behaviour change. Examples of staff surveys can be obtained from documents in the resource list.

Establishing working groups or champions
Working groups should be established to help coordinate the development and implementation of the plan. By involving different sectors of the organisation a clear understanding of issues can be developed – this will be useful in identifying solutions to deal with constraints or concerns.

Short and long term goal setting
The TravelSmart Workplace Plan should have both short and long term goals. The goals will be determined by the information collated from the staff surveys and will determine what strategies will be put in place to facilitate change.

Marketing of plan
A TravelSmart Workplace Plan marketing plan should provide opportunities for all staff to be involved, publicise issues and proposed measures and celebrate successes. The plan should encourage staff to try alternatives and inform them of new strategies that have been developed.

Monitoring
A TravelSmart Workplace Plan should be monitored regularly and modified according to need. Indicators and methods of evaluation should be established during the development stage of the TravelSmart Workplace Plan according to what the organisation would like to monitor. When targets have been met or strategies are working well monitoring allows for reporting to staff and celebration of successes.