A new report from the RAC and Chambers of Commerce suggests new ways to green up business travel. A new report, called “Business Travel: Choice or Necessity”, has found the car remains the key travel tool for business.
The report focused on the operational journeys made by small businesses during the day.
However, it also noted that small businesses were leading the way in finding environmental travel solutions.
Edmund King, Executive Director of the Royal Automobile Club Foundation said:
“Government support and encouragement is needed, but businesses must be left in the driving seat to decide what their transport needs are and how best they can be balanced against environmental obligations and operational business needs.”
The RAC Foundation and British Chambers of Commerce recommended this framework for more sustainable business travel:
- Individuals should: consider how best to minimise the environmental and safety impacts of their journeys: video-conferencing; train; low emission car; route planning; eco-driving.
- Businesses should: develop business travel policies: incentives for a switch to walking, cycling and motorcycling.
- Rail transport operators should: improve their services: provide door-to-door rather than station-to-station services.
- Bus operators should: develop services more appropriate to business needs.
Business travel factfile
- Average business trip: 20.7 miles
- Average time for a business trip: 39 minutes
- Business travel accounts for 22% of all personal mileage
- 69% of all business travel is completed by car
- 76% of business travellers will be travelling alone
- Same day travel within the UK is the most common form of business travel.
- 55% spend up to 10% of annual budget on business travel
- By 2010 video and audio-conferencing is likely to cut business travel by 5%
- Average number of company car miles driven in 2006: 7,500. Or double the distance of those using private cars for work
- Van miles have risen by 50% in the past 12 years compared to a 19% increase for all traffic
Further information
- To download a free factsheet on environmental travel planning, see our Downloads Advice Centre section.
- “Business Travel: Choice or Necessity?” is available from www.racfoundation.org or www.chamberonline.co.uk.
