Ulster Unionist Transport Minister Danny Kennedy today launched Northern Ireland’s largest Workplace Travel Plan in Belfast.
In a joint launch with the Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Metropolitan College, Marie Therese McGivern, the Minister said: “The Belfast Metropolitan College have taken a positive step forward in drawing up their Workplace Travel Plan and I welcome the efforts from the staff at the College on introducing this Plan to their 41,000 staff and students who have to travel to the site each day.
Minister Kennedy congratulated Ms McGivern on the introduction of their Plan and said: “Using sustainable travel options can make a significant impact on travel behaviour and help reduce traffic congestion, and improve the environment and people’s health, particularly of those who choose the more active travel options of walking and cycling.
“Workplace Travel Plans offer real benefits to organisations, their employees, those visiting their sites' and the community that surrounds them by relieving local car parking and congestion problems and improve public transport connections across the area. It may also reduce 'car stress' on employees through reducing delays.
“I look forward to commuters in the Titanic Quarter area benefitting from the initiative. Hopefully other businesses in the Titanic Quarter area will follow the College’s lead in promoting a package of sustainable travel measures designed to reduce car dependency by staff by exploring alternative travel to work options to the private car. These include walking, cycling, more use of public transport as well as car sharing and Park and Ride/Share.”
Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Metropolitan College, Marie Therese McGivern, said: "Belfast Metropolitan College is committed to the health and well-being of its staff and students has welcomed the opportunity to work in partnership with Travelwise to develop this plan. Through this partnership the College has been able to develop a plan which meets the needs of the College which is spread out across a number of sites. Implementation of the plan will have benefits for the College as an organisation, as an employer and on its impacts on the local community."
Currently there are now 16 organisations, covering 55 workplaces totalling 140,000 employees, with active Workplace Travel Plans supported by Travelwise, since the Plans began in 2006.