Promoting public transport to staff
Why promote public transport to staff?
Encouraging staff to travel by public transport can reduce car parking congestion and support local services. For staff, public transport can also be a great way of getting to work. Taking the bus or train can allow passengers the time to read a book, make phone calls or respond to emails.
People are not always aware of their options so providing location-specific information helps staff to make informed choices about how they travel to work.
What this toolkit offers
This toolkit includes:
Organisations can offer interest free loans to enable staff to purchase public transport season tickets which offer better value than individual or short term tickets. It is also possible to offer bus season tickets through a salary sacrifice scheme. It is however important to seek detailed guidance on both of these types of schemes to ensure compliance with tax regulations through agreement with HMRC prior to implementation.
Organisations themselves can offer free public transport taster tickets to employees, so that they can ‘try before they buy’. Employees often have negative perceptions of public transport and the reality can be a lot more pleasant and convenient than expected.
Arriva works with a number of employers in the North West to offer discounted season ticket travel to staff. If you are interested in offering this to your own staff please contact Leanne Williams, Arriva Employer Travel Club, who will be happy to have an informal discussion on the options that are available to you. Contact Leanne at joinetc@arriva.co.uk.
For information about corporate rail tickets, visit Trainline business website, where you can apply for four different accounts such as Business, Corporate, Charity or Season account.
The text below sets out public transport information. Simply populate the tables to create public transport information that is specific to your workplace.
Bus
Avoid the stress of driving and finding somewhere to park. It’s healthier – walking as part of a bus journey can amount to half your recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day.
How to plan your journey
For a journey planner, visit www.traveline.info or call 0871 200 22 33 (calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge) open 7 days a week.
You can also download area timetable booklets and view maps at: Bus service timetables and journey planning
Local Bus Information
[Populate table with relevant information e.g. frequency: every 20 minutes]
| Service | Areas Served | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Crewe – Leighton Hospital – Middlewich – Holmes Chapel – Congleton | Hourly on weekdays, 90 minutes on Saturdays |
Printed Resources
Printed timetables/maps are also available and can be picked up from bus, rail stations and other outlets such as libraries and tourist information centres. Area Timetable booklets and maps are also available online at Bus service timetables and journey planning. Alternatively, you can order timetable leaflets online by filling this Public Transport Information Order Form.
Train
Travelling by train provides a fast, frequent, and direct option, without the worries of driving and parking. You can also enjoy some active travel at either end of your train journey by walking or cycling to or from the station.
Buying Tickets
For details on all tickets, visit www.nationalrail.co.uk, call National Rail Enquiries on 03457 484950, or visit your nearest staffed station. You can buy a single or day return ticket for all local journeys in Cheshire East. You should buy your ticket at the station ticket office or from the ticket machine before getting on the train, where facilities exist. At stations where you are unable buy a ticket, you can buy it from the conductor on the train.
Season Tickets
For regular travellers, season tickets are available for one week, or for any period from one month to one year. You will need a photo card issued at any staffed station with your first season ticket. Visit National Rail Season Ticket Calculator to see how much you can save. For less regular travellers, such as part time workers, some operators offer three-day season tickets, where you specify which three days of each week you wish to travel.
Advance Tickets
If you are making a longer journey it is usually cheaper to book ahead, although please note these tickets are only valid for specific services.
Split Ticketing
The technique of ‘ticket splitting’ calculates when it would save you money to divide a single trip into two (or more) separate journeys. All you have to do is take the same journey with two cheaper tickets – and you don’t have to break your journey at the middle station. Use one of the many ticket splitting websites to calculate what you could save and then pay at the ticket office.
How to Plan Your Journey
To plan your journeys by train visit www.nationalrail.co.uk .For journeys which combine train with other modes, visit Traveline North West
Cycling by Train
Bicycles can be carried on trains in Cheshire East although there are some restrictions in place. Detailed information can be found using the following link: Cycling and cyclists
PlusBike is a free information portal which provides helpful information to rail travellers making a journey with a bicycle, including cycle facilities in stations and on trains.
If you are travelling to or from Wilmslow or Knutsford you can hire Bike & Go bicycles for a daily fixed charge of just £3.80. With an annual subscription fee of £10, Bike & Go is a flexible, easy way to hire smart, practical, hardwearing and well maintained bikes to complete your journey.
Bite Card
Get a free Bite card saving 10% off food and drink purchases at train stations. Visit www.bitecard.co.uk to apply.
Local Train Information – Our closest station is [insert name]
[Populate tables with relevant information e.g. frequency: every 20 minutes]
| Service | Areas Served | Frequency |
Combined travel
If you can, why not combine public transport with walking, cycling, or car sharing. You could cycle to the train station or try getting off the bus a couple of stops early to get a bit more exercise into your day. Another option could be car sharing to the train station.
If you travel by bus and rail to/from Crewe, Macclesfield or Congleton stations why not try PLUSBUS and save too. It gives you unlimited bus and tram travel (on participating operators’ services) around the whole urban area of participating towns. Use PLUSBUS to start your journey (to get to a rail station) and/or to end your journey (from station to your destination). PLUSBUS costs from £2 a day, and Railcard holders get 33% off day ticket prices. You can buy season tickets for 7-days, a month, 3-months and a year (to match rail season ticket validity). If you drive to and park at the station, then you could save hundreds of pounds a year.
To ensure the maximum benefits are achieved it is a good idea to use a variety of methods to ensure staff receive helpful and relevant information, for example:
- Send the information set out above in an email.
- Include the information above in staff induction packs. Find out more information on staff induction packs.
- Set up a Travel Information Point with timetables.
- Link screens in communal areas to live bus information.
A lack of information about journey options is a perceived barrier to bus use. Live bus information takes the uncertainty out of waiting for the bus and will soon be available at major bus stops across Cheshire East, via the XXXXX website and on mobile phones as an app.
Businesses can display the live feed or next scheduled stop for arrivals at your closet bus stop from screens in reception or waiting areas. Simply link to the website when available.
The suggestions listed in this toolkit have hopefully inspired you to promote public transport within your workplace. If you would like more information visit:
This guide is designed to give you the most useful public transport resources to inform staff of their options. We have provided an email template and tables which you can populate on bus and train options closest to your workplace with information on how to populate them.
