Making the car share message more attractive

The Trust has an active travel plan policy and is keen to promote healthy and sustainable modes of transport for staff, outpatients and visitors to its sites at Northwick Park/St Mark’s (NPSM) and Central Middlesex (CMH) hospitals.

Whilst the travel plan is proving successful in encouraging more sustainable travel to and from the hospitals, and the Trust’s carbon reduction plan encourages sharing or use of non-car modes for business travel, the part of the travel plan which is proving most difficult to deliver is car sharing. In Summer 2011 we joined the London Car Share system currently supported by TfL and operated by London Ride Shark and have a custom webpage for the Trust. However the response rate has been disappointing and we need to find ways of making the car share message more attractive.

Although there are some informal arrangements between colleagues, the concept is one which most car commuters are reluctant to adopt. This is in spite of savings in fuel and running costs which car sharers can achieve. There is also wider community benefit in reducing traffic congestion, exhaust pollution and CO2 emissions, together with a potential saving to the Trust in reduced demand for parking spaces and congestion on hospital roads.

Costing:

Design and print 1250 x A4 bi-fold leaflets on recycled paper 330.00
Posters – 50 x A3 colour 60.00
Promotional material (e.g. Eco key rings) 110.00
Total 500.00
Other resources - planning, staff time and accommodation for promotional event, will be met from internal budgets.

Delivery Plan:

Project approach

1. Review responses to Travel Plan surveys, in particular the section on “Preferred and supported measures for encouraging car sharing. ”
2. Produce key messages addressing issues highlighted in survey results.
3. Ensure that messages are supported by measures in place to make car sharing as attractive as possible – e.g. confirmation of parking pass sharing arrangements which will reduce permit costs, and provision of designated parking area for car sharers (both have recently been agreed within Trust and with car parking contractor).
4. Design and print A3 poster and A4 bifold leaflet, plus webpage with messages emphasizing cost saving potential of car sharing
5. Launch leaflet and webpage with a Car sharing promotion event at both sites.
6. Monitor impact on car sharing by checking results on the Site Admin Report for London Car Share System.
7. Review results and continue or adapt promotion as part of overall Travel Plan.