3j The Place of Cars in a Travel Plan

Travel Plans are not designed to be anti-car but are meant to encourage car users to think about how they travel. For some people, the car is their only realistic option due to their commitments, but others pick up their car keys purely out of habit. However, it is important to stress the overall objectives of the Plan and the value of reducing the overall number of trips made by car. If each person used an alternative means to the car for just one journey a week, this would reduce car trips by 20%
.
When the use of a car cannot be avoided the following measures can limit the damage caused by car travel:

• driver efficiency training
  
• provision of pool vehicles
  
• encouraging the use of cleaner fuels
  
• alterations in mileage rates
  
• use of a Park and Ride scheme
  
• allocation of essential and non-essential car user allowances

Park And Ride Schemes

Park and Ride involves the use of car parking spaces remote from your organisation and the completion of a journey by public transport. This can be done using a site designed specifically for Park and Ride, for example at a rail station, or a site leased and operated by the organisation as part of their Travel Plan. Ideally a Park and Ride scheme should:

• be located on a high frequency public transport route
  
• be easily accessible from the road
  
• provide a journey time that is comparable with driving straight to the site
  
• be cheap and easy to use
  
• not attract travellers already using public transport for their whole journey

For privately operated sites it is possible to purchase contract parking spaces for your site. Your local authority, or the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive should be able to advise you on the location of publicly operated Park and Ride schemes.

Pool Vehicles
These are vehicles which are owned or leased centrally by an organisation and are available for all staff to use for any journey conducted during the course of their work. The advantage is that staff can have access to a vehicle at work and therefore use alternative transport for their commuter journey.

Choosing Measures
Travel Plans and Walking
Travel Plans and Cycling
Travelling by Bus
Travelling by Rail
Powered Two-Wheelers
Using Taxis
Car Sharings
Car Clubs
The Place of Cars
Car Park Management Strategy
Managing Business Travel
Changing the Way We Work
Travel Plans and Cleaner Fuels
Travel Plans and Deliveries