Connect Plus Services are responsible for the maintenance and operations of the M25 motorway network, including all adjoining trunk and slip roads, and their website reads: “Imagine a world where you were never late; where there were no traffic jams, queues or accidents; where you travelled with ease and were spared thoughts of frustration and annoyance”.
Aiming to practice what they preach and lead by example, CPS launched a Liftshare scheme for their workforce at the beginning of 2017. With seven main sites of staff, and varying shift patterns, the business needed a flexible sharing policy that would suit all.
Frequently working on large projects outside and in all elements, CPS are no stranger to environmental concerns and corporate social responsibility. With ambitious carbon reduction targets to hit by 2020, CPS need to find new ways to reduce their impact on the environment.
Taking the step to implement priority parking bays for car sharers at three sites, CPS launched their scheme and invited the Liftshare Team on site to meet with staff. Completing floor walks of Dartford and South Mimms and signing people up for the free-to-use initiative at their desks, 25% of the workforce signed up over just two days – an unprecedented amount of engagement!
CPS used their social media, company-wide briefings and email to talk about car sharing and its benefits to their staff, and incentivised with a prize draw for those signing up. This all-round approach has been extremely successful, and the interest received is tantamount to the management buy-in.
Rebecca Gysin, Liftshare Scheme Manager, said: “As a business we take our impact on the environment very seriously, it is one of our six business priorities and goals. Seeing that our work focuses on improving journeys on the M25, we felt it was important to demonstrate our commitment to improving congestion on our roads. During the process of deciding whether Liftshare was right for our business we identified that over 43% of our staff lived within one mile of a colleague travelling to the same site, this evidence showed us that this would be a worthwhile investment and really give our staff an opportunity to save themselves some money of their fuels bills and maybe also make some new friends along the way. “
If you’d like more information on introducing a Liftshare scheme for your business, or think personalised travel planning or car sharing could work for your organisation, get in touch with the Liftshare Business Team.