How do you travel for work? Whether it’s getting stuck in traffic, boring and lonely drives to the office or travel to meetings, none of it is particularly enjoyable. However there are lots of shared transport options out there and at CoMoUK our aim is to find the one that fits.

The question that is most likely on your lips is ‘what is shared transport?’ At its most simple you either share the journey or share the mode of transport. This can mean ride sharing, car clubs or bike sharing. For many the idea of car sharing would bring to mind Peter Kay’s TV show of the same name. It was hilarious but not always an ideal commute. However we can tell you that this isn’t the whole picture of shared transport.

Car clubs are pay- as-you-drive hire schemes allowing members to book a variety of cars online for the time that they need from an hour to a day, and paying only for the hire time and the distance driven. Bike share is very similar to a car club. It provides users access to bikes when they need them, for the time they need. On the other hand ride share is something many people are familiar with; it allows you to journey, whether it is a commute to work or a longer distant trip, to the same destination with others.

Shared transport offers businesses the opportunity to support their staff, the environment and the local community but the other great thing about shared transport is that it can save organisations money. In the UK businesses spend millions of pounds on grey fleets for staff travel. Swapping to utilising a car club rather than a grey fleet can greatly reduce this burden. Car clubs are already in most cities in Scotland this means as a business you could utilise existing car clubs. There is also the option of having a car club set-up specifically office locations. If you used car clubs in tandem with bike share the option you can further reduce the costs of vehicle usage.

Studies have shown that sitting in traffic alone during a commute increases stress levels and often feels like time is being wasted. If you have to make a journey by car, then sharing it can make it a more enjoyable experience and help alleviate stress. Companies like Lift Share can help set-up a bespoke car share for your organisation. This can lead to happier and more productive staff who aren’t stressed when they arrive at the office.

Travelling to meetings, either in the same city or across Scotland, is a necessity for most business. Having a Car Club or Bike Share in place means that staff don’t have to bring their own car to work to go to meetings but can utilise shared transport options. For those shorter journeys Bike Share schemes are great. Cycling is great for physical and mental health and is a great way to travel for those shorter journeys and leaves you in a positive frame of mind for meetings.

We all know that the environment needs TLC. Any of these shared transport methods can help the environment; they can reduce the number of private cars on the road, promote the use of more environmentally friendly cars through car clubs and promote a healthy active lifestyle through cycling.

By helping to support schemes such as car clubs and bike share businesses can benefit the local community. Allowing local residents’ access to your businesses car club can help reduce the need for local residents to own more than one car and can also allow those who do not own a car to undertake journeys that can’t be done by other modes. The same can be done with a bike share scheme, giving local people access to the bikes and encouraging them to participate in active travel.

Here at CoMoUK we want to help you make shared transport work for your organisation and your staff. It is as easy as dropping us an email or giving us a call. We have several specialists who are ready to help you in your journey to shared transport.

scotland@como.org.uk