Alternatives to travel in the public sector
Documents concerning alternatives to travel in the public sector.
Documents
Details
Reducing the need to travel is an important objective in the public sector. The potential for cost savings and carbon efficiencies by avoiding travel, in favour of alternatives such as telephone conferencing or home working are well recognised, although the exact levels of savings in relation to the cost incurred when providing for these alternatives are less well understood.
In 2011 the department funded the alternatives to travel (ATT) support programme for public sector organisations. The programme, delivered from July 2011 to March 2012, helped four local authorities (Cheshire West and Chester Council, Dorset County Council, Kent County Council and Swindon Borough Council) to progress their ATT agendas to affect work related journeys, and understand more about the potential cost and carbon savings that could be achieved. All of the local authorities have been able to demonstrate cost and carbon benefits of ATT through reduced travel due to increased use of ATT measures.
For the purposes of this programme ATT measures included: home working and remote working, flexible working and staggered hours, teleconferencing, videoconferencing (including tele-presence) and web conferencing for the purpose of travelling to, and for, work. The summary report provides an overview of the work undertaken.
The case study report details the work that was undertaken at each public sector organisation and the impact of the ATT measures implemented.
The guidance document provides tools which will assist other organisations to implement ATT measures. These tools are transferable to public sector as well as private sector organisations.