Woking Borough Council application case study

One of the council's Climate Change Strategy themes is transport.  Car ownership in Woking is very high - only 15 per cent of households do not have a car, compared with 27 per cent nationally. In total there are 1.4 cars for every household in Woking, compared with 1.1 nationally.

Not surprisingly the private car is the dominant means of transport in Woking. Defra's Local and Regional Carbon Estimates (2004) showed that 19 per cent of Woking's CO2 emissions were from transport. It is the council's intention to be an exemplar with its climate change work and get its own operations in order to communicate good practice.

The transport theme within the strategy has the following action:

"Revising the council's staff transport plan with a view to all council owned vehicles, lease cars and cars used on council business being low carbon vehicles by 2010/11".

A number of initiatives have been implemented to progress this target. Woking Borough Council's Transport Plan was adopted in October 2000. It followed a survey that asked staff which policies would be the most effective in helping to reduce car usage by at least 10 per cent by 2005, while maintaining high levels of customer service at all times. The Transport Plan included:

• Flexible working, including a nine day fortnight
• Discounted bus travel
• Pool bikes and cycling allowance
• Interest free loans for season tickets

This was followed with a Staff Transport Plan survey in October 2005.  The survey was designed to address three principal aims:

1. Provide the data necessary to review the impact of current travel to work arrangements and staff car parking arrangements;
2. To review the effectiveness of the Staff Transport Plan;
3. To explore opportunities for reducing CO2 equivalent emissions as per the Climate Change Strategy.

71.7 per cent of respondents indicated that they made use of at least one of the Staff Transport Plan measures. Based on responses, 4.5 per cent of journeys were being saved per month as a result of Transport Plan measures.

In order to progress the third aim in particular and to provide an independent assessment, it was decided to use the Energy Saving Trust's (EST) fleet health check review scheme. Gfleet Services Ltd, a transport consultancy service, carried out the review on behalf of the EST on council fleets including:

• Staff lease cars
• Staff grey fleet cars (owned by staff but used on council business)

In December 2006, Gfleet provided detailed information on the costs and CO2 emissions associated with each fleet. Gfleet's study found that during the period of analysis, leased cars accounted for 20 tonnes of CO2 and the grey fleet accounted for 39 tonnes per annum. Gfleet recommended that the council consider the introduction of a pool car pilot scheme and environmental and safety criteria for lease cars. This report and recommendations were considered as part of the review of the Staff Transport Plan.

Gfleet's recommendation to introduce environmental and safety criteria has been adopted for lease cars. Initially, all leased cars ordered from 1 January 2007 and any new essential users or anyone taking out an option for a cash alternative from this date are required to meet certain emissions and safety standards - these are:

• Euro 4 emissions standard for exhaust emissions
• CO2 emissions no greater than 165g/km, according to the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) carbon-banding Point of Sale system, and
• NCAP 4 safety rating - NCAP safety tests rate how well the drivers and passengers would be protected in front and side collisions.

It is the intention to increase the requirements for lease cars in 2009 to Euro 5, NCAP 5 and CO2 emissions no greater than 150g/km. It is believed that these criteria will help to significantly reduce the CO2 emissions associated with staff transport.

The revised Staff Transport Plan is looking to reduce CO2 emissions by 10 per cent by 2010/11.
Similar environmental and safety criteria are being investigated for the Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles operating in the Borough. The intention is to bring enhanced passenger safety and environmental benefits. Initial consultation with the trade took place early in 2007.

Emissions associated with the grey fleet were highlighted as significantly higher than those of the lease car fleet. Generally the grey fleet is made up of older cars that are less fuel efficient. Rather than introduce criteria for this fleet, investigations are currently taking place on the feasibility of introducing a car club for Woking. Initially the car club would look to replace the council's grey fleet, essentially serving as the council's pool-car fleet.

Use of the car club vehicles would be extended to staff in the evenings and weekends. The car club would be suitable for use by future high density development in the town centre therefore avoiding additional parking facilities and pressures.

The car club would use environmentally sound vehicles, at least in line with the revised Staff Transport Plan and requirements for leased car vehicles. However, there is a desire for the car club to seek higher specifications therefore acting as an exemplar e.g. NCAP 5 safety rating and Band C CO2 emissions (121 - 150g/km).

It is the intention to establish the car club through a formal tendering exercise in accordance with European Union (EU) procurement rules and for it to be operational by April 2008.