NEW YEAR REWARD FOR COMPANIES MAKING
GREEN TRAVEL PLANS
More than 20 organisations will be rewarded
for their pioneering environmentally-friendly commuting initiatives
at the sixth annual Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Workplace
Travel Plan Awards at the Town Hall, Bridge Street, Peterborough,
on Tuesday 25 January 2011 at 2.30pm.
The awards are presented jointly by
Peterborough City Council's Travelchoice team and the
Cambridgeshire Travel for Work Partnership (TfW). Twenty-five
companies will pick up awards at the event include Cross Keys Homes
from Peterborough and Eversheds from Cambridge.
There are six stages to the awards, ranging
from commitment to travel planning, through to development and
implementation. Travel Plan Excellence Awards are achieved by
organisations whose travel plans are integral to their
business.
Travel plans are a package of measures that
aim to encourage employees to reconsider how they travel to work.
Alternative modes of transport such as walking, cycling, using
public transport and car sharing are promoted, along with e-working
and working from home. Business travel is also included, with
measures such as pool bikes, teleconferencing or
videoconferencing.
Phillip Darnton, chair of Cycling England,
will be speaking and presenting at the awards. Cycling England is
an independent, expert body, working to get more people cycling,
more safely, more often.
Councillor Samantha Dalton, cabinet member for
environment capital, said: "It Is a real coup to have Phillip
Darnton speaking at the awards. I hope his experience and that of
Cycling England will inspire others to think more widely about
alternative modes of transport.
"Having a travel plan that encourages all
forms of travel benefits both staff and employers. Commuters
benefit from improved physical and mental health along with
healthier bank balances.
"Every one of us who chooses to leave the car
at home and walk, cycle, car share or use public transport is
contributing to Peterborough's growing reputation as the home of
environment capital and keeping our city cleaner and greener."
Mark Webb, development manager for
Cambridgeshire Travel for Work Partnership, said: "From our work
with 89 employment sites, employing around 60,000 commuters, we
know that effective workplace travel plans have real effect. We are
delighted to be rewarding those employers who are travel planning
for the benefit of their business, their commuting staff and wider
society.”