NEW COVID-19 MEASURES
There is a common misconception that the new measures introduced by the UK Government this week for multi-household gatherings in England are more restrictive, when actually they are less so for many indoor gatherings, and similar for meeting outdoors.
The new “Rule of Six”, launched on 14th September 2020, simplifies and strengthens the Government rules on social gatherings, making them easier to understand and for the police to enforce. So what impact will they have on your daily commute to the office? Well, very little actually, as (within reason) workplaces remain exempt. Not that this makes the dilemma of returning to the office any easier, especially if you work in the capital.
ADAPT TO SURVIVE
So how do you commute safely in the new normal, whilst protecting the planet, your bank balance and your mental health? The Government’s recent National Travel Survey revealed that the dominant mode of travel for the daily commute remains the cars (61%), with a few using public transport or walking/cycling, and a minority choosing taxi’s or dedicated shared transport.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?
With many employers keen to get their teams back in the office (for good reason), despite many employees being happy to commute regularly, some are still understandably wary of using public transport (especially around London) Also, even where cycling or walking are an option, these modes are simply not practical as Autumn weather and shorter days approach. And despite the convenience and flexibility of the car, it can also be the most stressful and environmentally unfriendly form of daily travel.
In his paper on “Sustainable transport and public policy”, David Banister of UCL assesses the sustainability of each transport mode in terms of resources used, both in terms of energy consumption, but also in production of externalities such as pollution, accidents, noise and congestion. Cycling, walking, tram and coach travel are naturally more efficient than taxi, car and rail. So with many companies facing lower CO2 emission targets, and seeking cost savings post COVID-19 (reducing office parking spaces), more people returning to the office by car or taxi is not progress. And something needs to be done urgently, as data from Waze Cities Programme highlights congestion in Greater London was at 150%+ of 2019 levels in September 2020.
THERE IS ANOTHER WAY
So how can a caring employer guarantee its people commute safely and comfortably every day in Autumn 2020? Well, there is another alternative. A few forward-thinking companies have partnered with Transport2 to set up dedicated employee shuttles which not only leads to better staff safety, punctuality and wellbeing, but also reduces the employer’s carbon footprint and office parking costs.
One of these innovators is Spooner Industries, a global manufacturing company based in Ilkley, Yorkshire, who has been using a fully-managed shuttle from Transport2 over the summer to help employees on the night shift safely commute to and from the factory daily.
FEWER CARS, LOWER EMISSIONS
Transport2’s agility helped provide Spooner Industries with a range of vehicles of different sizes, dependent on how many staff required travel on a particular day. This ensured staff were able to maintain full social distancing, helping to minimise the risk of an infection outbreak amongst the workforce. Also, Spooner Industries staff have been able to save, on average, 88 miles per shared journey that many would have previously spent in cars – equating to more than 7,600* miles, and related emissions, saved per employee over the partnership to date.
Debbie Goldie, Indirect Buyer, at Spooner Industries, commented:
“When managing staff travel, ensuring they felt safe at all times was our number one priority, as was, being a manufacturer working in a factory setting, preventing the spread of infection.”
A FREE GUIDE TO HELP STAFF COMMUTE SAFELY
So, just as many companies have introduced team bubbles, limited office occupancy (with booking rotas), social distancing and sanitizing of surfaces to protect employees returning to the office, Transport2 has also implemented these measures across all our vehicle network to ensure passengers and drivers are as safe as possible on every journey.
Download Transport2’s Business Covid-Ready Transport Guide to learn more about the measures Transport2 has put in place to help our customers get their staff safely back to work with confidence and without adding to the road congestion that inevitably comes with the Autumn back-to-school rush.
To find out more about our services and to get in touch head over to our business transport page.