Transport for LondonCase studies
GlaxoSmithKline
When GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) head office opened in 2001, it was faced with the problem of limited car parking for the 2,850 employees to be based at the site.
To meet this challenge, GSK's Worldwide Real Estate Department developed a workplace travel plan for GSK House, linking the strategy into the company's Environment, Health and Safety vision.
A wide range of initiatives have been implemented at GSK House to encourage and support employees moving away from car use, including:
- Secure, covered cycle parking
- New, high-quality changing facilities
- Regular on-site cycle maintenance sessions
- A local bike store on site selling cycles and equipment, as well providing advice and information on events
- An innovative scheme to reward cyclists with vouchers for local cycle retailers
- Interest-free season ticket loans for public transport users
- Regular free shuttle bus service between GSK House and local Underground stations
- Car-sharing database with a guaranteed ride-home facility for all participants
- Car park management which means employees can only park on the GSK site for four out of every five weeks
- Regular internal communications and events to promote the travel plan
Ongoing monitoring of the travel plan has enabled GSK to see true business benefits. More than 300 one-to-one personal travel plans have been created for staff and 250 people are now registered on the car-share database. Levels of cycling at GSK House have trebled and cycling continues to grow.
In addition, the numbers of registered cyclists have increased five-fold and more than 10 per cent of the site's employees are now registered cyclists. For GSK, providing excellent facilities and incentives for cyclists costs the company up to 80 per cent less than a car driver requiring a parking space.
BBC, West London
The BBC developed a workplace travel plan as part of their plans to consolidate their buildings in west London.
The organisation saw environmental, employee and business benefits as part of the plan's development and looked at a number of ways to reduce the need to travel. These included teleworking, video conferencing and inter-site shuttle buses. Alongside this, improvements were made to facilities for cyclists. These included new lockers and showers.
Twelve thousand passengers use the shuttle buses each month - while they are running, no one may use cabs between sites. This has saved the BBC approximately £750,000 per year. Additional savings have also been made by using shuttle buses to courier packages between offices.
From an employee perspective, the shuttle buses are convenient to use and have helped to ease business travel arrangements. In addition, the travel plan has helped promote greater work/life balance among staff.
Park Inn Heathrow
Park Inn, a four-star hotel located minutes away from Heathrow, has successfully encouraged a 10 per cent reduction in car use among staff. Helping contribute to a greener local environment and improving the health and wellbeing of employees.
Download the case study from the Park Inn Heathrow (PDF 1.45MB).
Further information
To join these businesses and begin benefiting from workplace travel plans, contact us or download an information guide and leaflet.
