The West of England Travel Plan Awards, hosted by Bristol City Council, reward organisations that promote sustainable travel to employees and help them to reduce their carbon footprint.

The University has won the awards for having an established travel plan that has successfully reduced the University’s environmental and congestion impact through its travel activities. This has been achieved through the implementation of a variety of different schemes, which include:

• a new University bus service, also available to the general public, will be launched on October 4 2010 and will run between Stoke Bishop and Ashton Court, via the University of Bristol;
• a Stoke Bishop halls of residence Car Club scheme, with one vehicle available for use by staff and students;
• a Car-Share scheme exists with dedicated car-share parking spaces at all sites, with provision for a ‘guaranteed ride home’;
• a bike and walk buddy programme helps new staff and students find walking short cuts and cycle parking;
• a free fortnightly cycle surgery;
• free cycle training;
• video conferencing facilities reduce the need to travel;
• parking regulations at University premises are rigidly enforced;
• a free staff and visitor bus shuttle, funded by the University, runs between Temple; Meads, the University and Bristol Royal Infirmary.

Amy Watts, Transport Manager in Sustainability at the University, said: “We are delighted to have received this award. Since introducing the scheme in 1999, the University’s Staff Travel Plan has reduced single-car occupancy by 52 per cent and increased the number of walkers and cyclists. We want to help reduce congestion and pollution in the city and encourage all our staff and students to travel sustainably whenever possible. Even small changes, such as sharing a car once a week, all helps.”

By organisations applying this approach to how staff get to work, companies in the west of England area have reduced the number of cars on the road, encouraged people to take a healthy approach to getting to work, and ‘done their bit’ to help reduce carbon emissions.

The awards were presented on Wednesday 22 September 2010 at the Travel Plan Awards Ceremony.  Further information about the University’s Staff Travel Plan and the new University Bus Service is available on the Transport Plan website.