The EPA has been one of the leaders in the delivery of travel behaviour change initiatives to their staff in South Australia. They first surveyed their staff in 2006 and in April 2007 they launched the EPA TravelSmart Workplace Plan (TWP). Since then various approved strategies have been implemented to encourage staff to participate in using sustainable transport for both commuting and business related travel.

By re-surveying in 2007, 2008 and 2009, the EPA has been able to demonstrate that staff have embraced the challenge. There have been small but consistent decreases in the proportion of staff commuting to work by car, reductions in car use for work trips and an increase in the use of public transport. The authority has also built a strong cycling culture, with staff supported from the highest level.

‘Travel A K The Green Way’ business travel competition

To encourage staff to use sustainable transport for business travel whenever possible and practical, the EPA introduced the Travel A K The Green Way business travel competition.

All staff were provided with a competition card and asked to mark it every time they use one of the listed sustainable transport modes (walking over 1 km, car-pooling or catching public transport) for business related travel.  In the short time the competition ran a total of 163 public transport trips, 216 walking trips (over 1km) and 33 car-pooling trips were recorded.

Gold Star Travel – Stirling Office

Following an ‘eco-mapping’ exercise at the EPA Stirling Office, staff there decided to develop and implement their own initiative to encourage staff to use sustainable transport for both commuting and business related travel. The Gold Star Travel Initiative began in September 2007.

Staff are rewarded with gold stars if they:

• catch a bus to the city (or other location) for business
• encourage an EPA staff member located in the city office to catch the bus to  Stirling for a meeting
• have a meeting on the way to or from home
• cycle, catch a bus, car-pool or walk to work.
  

Staff are rewarded when they collect 20 gold stars, and the whole office receives a reward (a staff lunch) for every 50 stars distributed..
Over 80% of the small staff in the Stirling office have participated in the program and car use has decreased measurably.

 

EPA cycle commuters