Employer transport plans (ETPs) aim to reduce the numbers of people driving alone to and from work by providing a package of incentives and disincentives at the workplace to encourage employees to try other modes of transport for their commute journeys. While ETPs have been adopted by many employers in the US and the Netherlands, they remain largely untested in the UK, in spite of widespread interest from transport professionals in their potential as a congestion management technique. This paper presents results from a postal questionnaire survey of large employers (i.e. employers of over 100 people) throughout the United Kingdom. The questionnaire survey was carried out in November 1997 as part of a research project under the DETR's SEEDCORN Research Programme. The results provide an indication of the degree to which these employers are aware of the concept of responsible agencies such as government individuals and business organisations. The degree to which employers are aware of their own employees' transport habits for commute journeys is also assessed. The results indicate how many employers have already implemented elements of ETPs, and the perceptions which employers have of the feasibility of constituent elements of ETPs. Initial conclusions from this research suggest that there is a relatively low awareness of the concept of ETPs among the UK employers surveyed and that the majority do not feel that it is their responsibility to reduce the transport impacts of their employees' commuting.
Abstract