How do your employees get to work?

Warwickshire County Council’s 'Choose How You Move' campaign is encouraging people who work in Warwick district to think differently about how they travel from home to their workplace.

It follows a report which revealed that one in four journeys to work in the Leamington Spa and Warwick area are less than two kilometres, with a further one in five being in the two-to-five kilometre range.

The county council is urging employees of local businesses to walk, cycle or car-share or to choose rail and bus travel over single occupancy car journeys.  

It’s quick, easy and cheap to travel between Leamington and Warwick by public transport, even during the rush hour. A Rush Hour Challenge organised by the county council recently, on a three-mile route from The Parade in Leamington to the centre of Warwick, saw a commuting duo walk to Leamington Rail Station, then from Warwick Rail Station to the town centre, in just over half an hour.

Commuter Katie, who took part in the challenge, said: “It is only £1.90 for a peak return ticket from Leamington to Warwick and takes just a couple of minutes. I’m sure we could get this commute to under 30 minutes with a weekly ticket, just being able to walk straight on.”

Businesses are being encouraged to help their staff get genned up on local knowledge, particularly if they are new to the area.

Employees may be surprised at how many bus and train services operate in their local area and how frequently they run. The Buses, Travel and Transport page on the Warwickshire Direct website (www.warwickshire.gov.uk/travel) is an invaluable source of information. There you will find links to the Traveline journey planner, which will plan your commute by bus; local cycle-guides and information on combining cycling and rail travel; details about rail services in Warwickshire including Warwick Parkway station; and much more.

For car sharing options, CarShare Coventry & Warwickshire has been launched to help encourage people to share their journeys to help cut congestion and save money. It’s free to join – visit https://carsharewarwickshire.liftshare.com or follow Choose How You Move Warwickshire on Twitter @ChooseMoveWarks or like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/ChooseMoveWarks for the latest news on WCC initiatives to help you and your employees Choose How You Move.