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Travel Planning for Business

A Travel Plan is something many companies now include as part of their approach to operational management. It can show that they are a responsible and caring employer by taking into consideration how their employees get to and from work.

What is a travel plan

A travel plan is a package of measures produced by employers to encourage staff to use alternatives to single-occupancy car-use. Such a plan could include:

  • car sharing schemes
  • a commitment to improve cycling facilities
  • a dedicated bus service
  • restricted car parking allocations

It might also promote flexible-working practices such as remote access and video conferencing.

Travel plans can offer real benefits not only to the organisation and its employees, but also the community that surrounds it. It may help to relieve local parking or congestion problems or improve public transport connections across the area. It may also relieve stress on employees through reducing delays or providing the opportunity to cut their travel commitments by working from home on occasion.

Benefits to your business

An increasing number of businesses are adversely affected by rising levels of traffic, congestion and on site parking problems. In Aberdeenshire total cars are expected to rise by 17% from 2005 levels by 2031 (Source: TEMPRO) and there are economic, social and environmental costs involved with this trend. Travel plans help by:

  • Providing a means of doing a ‘stock take’ of the current situation, problems and opportunities to enable changes to take place
  • Reducing fleet management costs and travel expenses
  • Improving site access
  • Assisting with recruitment and retention by providing a range of means of accessing employment
  • Reducing car park maintenance costs
  • Improving company image
  • Contributes to environmental management systems
  • Improving staff well-being
  • Influencing key decision makers and building better relationships with the local community, public transport operators and local authorities

The development of a travel plan can also assist in meeting wider business objectives, including: air quality initiatives, achieving ISO14001 accreditation, energy efficiency and waste minimisation.

Travel planning guidance

The following documents are intended to assist anyone preparing a Travel Plan as part of Aberdeenshire council's planning system. This includes a template used to evaluate submitted travel plans.

We recommend you also consult the following documents:

Comprehensive planning guidance

It is recommended that the below guidance be referred to by all those with a role in the development planning process, this includes:

  • developers and their agents
  • local authority officers and councillors
  • public transport providers
  • those involved with planning enquiries
  • members of the public who may be affected by proposed developments
  • groups with specific interests in transport

The guidance presents an opportunity to deliver sustainable transport consistent with current policy:

Statements of Scottish Government policy in the SPP, NPF, Designing Places, Designing Streets and Circulars may be material considerations to be taken into account in development plans and development management decisions.

Designing Places, Designing Streets have the same status in decision-making as the SPP and NPF.

If you have any questions please email transportationstrategy@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or telephone 01467 536929.