How do I save money, become a greener commuter and help improve on-site parking for patients?
1. Get a Personal Travel Plan
DCHS can now provide you with a personal travel plan. By providing your start and end postcode we can find all the travel options available to you and allow you to compare them. If you want a personal travel plan contact .
2. Walk or cycle to work if you can
Both of these are good for your health and wellbeing, as well as cheap. If you want to cycle, DCHS has a cycle to work scheme meaning you could get up to 42 per cent off your next bike; check it out at www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/dchsnhs.
3. Check out public transport
To see if you have suitable public transport links use http://www.travelineeastmidlands.co.uk which allows you to find details of door to door routes and public transport options. Once you have found suitable public transport options, check out any special reduced rate tickets.
For Southern Derbyshire, Trent Barton has a scheme called Mango Cards. These can be ‘loaded’ with cash, like topping up a mobile phone account, and then used to pay for travel on their buses. A 25% discount is given when paying by Mango Card and the money is taken from the card, which can be topped up at any time.
4. Share your commuting journey
If you can’t walk, cycle or use public transport, you may still be able to reduce your costs and be ‘greener’ by car sharing. Register at the dedicated Derbyshire car share website, https://derbyshire.liftshare.com/, and add details of your normal commuting journey. Even if you don’t need a lift you should still register in order to offer a lift – you can save £100s by sharing lifts and costs.
You don’t need to be travelling every day or at the same times, as you can put in details of your actual journeys and travelling days in order to search for suitable car sharers. There is nothing to stop you sharing with different people on different days or share some days and not others.
This site can also be used to share one-off journeys as well as daily commuting journeys.
What should I do now to be greener and save money when driving on DCHS Business?
1. Ensure you have a telephone conference account
If you already regularly claim mileage payments, details of how to access a teleconference account should have been sent to you. If you don’t have details and would like to have a teleconference account, then contact .
2. Ensure you register on the Derbyshire Car Share website
Register on our car share website, https://derbyshire.liftshare.com/, and add details of your normal commuting journey. Even if you don’t need a lift you should still register in order to offer a lift – you can save £100s by sharing lifts and costs. This site can also be used to share one-off journeys as well as daily commuting journeys.
3. If you don’t have a lease car, then register to use the Co-Wheels pool cars
You should register on our pool car website so that you can use our very efficient, low CO2, pool cars when appropriate: http://www.co-wheels.org.uk/business_public_sector. It takes a few days to receive your smartcard which gives access to the cars, so it is best to register as soon as possible to allow you to use the pools cars when you need to. See the website to find out which sites we currently have cars available.
4. If you are considering buying a new car then check out whether a lease car may be suitable
For information about the lease car scheme, phone our fleet management provider, GMP Drivercare, on 0330 1004910 – Option 2, or visit the staff zone pages on the intranet: http://www.dchs.nhs.uk/dchs_staff_zone/dchs_your_health_wellbeing/green-travel/new-lease-car-policy
5. When you do replace your car, either with a lease car or privately, consider looking at green alternatives
These websites identify the greenest new cars available in a number of different classes: http://www.greencarsite.co.uk/best-in-class.htm or http://www.green-car-guide.com/
For more information on car fuel data, tax bands, etc the following comprehensive website is useful: http://carfueldata.direct.gov.uk/
What should I consider before each journey I make?
1. Is the journey necessary?
· Can I use email, telephone or telephone conferencing instead?[1]
· Can I postpone the meeting because I’m / a colleague isgoing there next week?
2. Can I walk or cycle?
· Is the meeting within walking/cycling distance?
· Note: Our cycling business mileage rate is 20p per mile
3. Can I travel by public transport?
· Do I know the routes and times?[2]
· Can I arrange meetings/events around arrival/departure times?
· Can I use any discount tickets, e.g. Day Rover, Super Saver, etc?
· Ensure that where possible tickets are booked well in advance.
· Ensure the costs of overnight accommodation are factored in to your decision making.
· Check out this site for maps of public transport in Derbyshire http://www.derbysbus.info/maps/index.htm
4. Do I need to drive alone?
· Do I know of other colleagues travelling to the same destination who I can share with?
· Can I Car Share with someone else?[3]
5. If driving alone, have I chosen the best option?
· Lease car users – all journeys regardless of length should be made by lease car.
· Non lease car users – sign up to use the Co-Wheels pool cars instead of driving your own cars.[4]
· Drive efficiently to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions
[1] If you wish to use teleconferencing facilities, these are simple to arrange and use. Contact Mark Armstrong-Read (), Strategy and Planning Manager
[2] This link will take you to the Traveline East Midlands site (http://www.travelineeastmidlands.co.uk) which allows you to plan a journey ‘from door to door’, including walking time.
[3] This link takes you to the Derbyshire Car Share Site (https://derbyshire.liftshare.com/)
[4] This link takes you to the DCHS page of the Co-Wheels site (http://www.co-wheels.org.uk/business_public_sector)