Business travel carries costs; for example the cost of vehicles and parking, and also the cost of the time taken. Travelling less or changing how you travel can cut direct costs and increase productivity.
Changing the way you travel or travelling less can:
reduce travel-related costs
reduce fleet costs – fewer vehicles and lower maintenance costs through reduced wear and tear
reduce land costs through less need for parking facilities
increase staff productivity – staff can continue working while using public transport.
This also contributes to:
reduced congestion
reduced harmful emissions into the environment, such as greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change
improved quality of the environment, especially in towns and cities with reduced traffic, noise and pollutants.
Looking at the whole range of your organisation’s business travel will provide you with the biggest potential for cost savings. The NZ Transport Agency’s Business travel efficiency guidelines will help you to identify what could be improved, and how to do this.
Read the Business travel efficiency guidelines [PDF, 43 KB]
Here are a few practical ideas for introducing travel alternatives in your workplace straight away:
Encourage staff to walk to meetings in your local town centre or CBD. Follow our tips for safe walking.
Encourage staff to take public transport such as buses or trains, or even supply pool bikes, for longer journeys.
Set up a carpooling or taxi sharing calendar so staff can share rides when travelling to the same destination. Check out our carpooling information and resources.
Set up face-to-face meeting alternatives such as web, video or phone conferencing facilities.
Provide for flexible working hours.
Promote the use of public transport to get to and from the airport.
You can reduce costs by providing staff training in more fuel-efficient driving.
To find driver training courses:
Keeping your vehicle fleet well maintained will also help ensure your vehicles are fuel efficient. Check vehicle performance using the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority fleet audit:
Find out more about vehicle features that affect the environment
When replacing vehicles in your fleet, check the Rightcar(external link) website to find out which vehicles are the most fuel efficient before you make your next purchase.
Email us at workplacetravelplans@nzta.govt.nz if you’d like advice on workplace travel plans or business travel efficiency.
