Travel’s carrot or stick approach
Nov 25 2009 by jez Davison, Evening Gazette
ONE of the region’s most influential business leaders has warned travel planners against adopting measures that could penalise businesses and hinder the recovery - including bitterly resisted taxation on workplace parking.
James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) has given a stark warning about the damage that a “stick” rather than “carrot” approach to travel planning could have on businesses, saying that the short-time priority must be on helping businesses deliver economic recovery.
Speaking at a national transport conference held in the North-east, Mr Ramsbotham called on local authorities to resist a workplace parking levy which, he said, would seriously impact on the recovery of the local economy.
He also stressed the need for planning departments to work proactively with businesses and not to use travel plans as an obstacle to block investment and development.
Mr Ramsbotham said: “Now more than ever it is essential that travel planners work with the business community to develop sustainable and effective solutions to the transport challenges we face today.
“But this must not be done by threats of new taxation or placing excessive burdens on businesses who are working flat out to deliver an economic recovery in the North-east.
“NECC is committed to tackling these challenges and fully supports the Work Wise North East campaign which looks at how smarter working practices can deliver business benefit and address wider social issues such as health, the environment and congestion.”
The conference was organised by ACT TravelWise, a national network for organisations working to promote sustainable travel. It aims to encourage people to think about the way they travel and look for more efficient, green solutions. The conference addressed questions including how to prevent the millennium generation becoming the next generation of car owners and how to make sure travel planning addresses the key challenges facing society today.
