New firm signs up to Rotherwas Travel Plan
Hereford-based firm Thomas and Green has become one of the latest companies to sign up to the Rotherwas Travel Plan, a cost-cutting and environmentally friendly scheme promoted by Herefordshire Council.
The firm, which manufactures food packaging and food-related consumables such as coffee filters, filter papers and absorbent pads, first brought in a compressed working week which not only reduces congestion but also provides economic savings.
Instead of working five days a week, most people at the company now work the same hours over four days a week, a move which not only saves travelling costs for employees but also reduces congestion because fewer workers are travelling into Rotherwas on a Friday, one of the busiest days of the week. The compressed week has also reduced the firm’s utility bills because lights, heating and computers do not need to be switched on.
Paul Kirsz, operations manager for Thomas and Green, said: “We are always eager to reduce the impact our activities have on the environment and after introducing our compressed working week, I was reading about the Rotherwas Travel Plan in the Association of Rotherwas Enterprises Newsletter and decided the firm’s next logical step was to sign up for this.”
Paula McGivern, Herefordshire Council’s Rotherwas Travel Plan co-ordinator, is delighted that T&G have joined the group of 40 firms on the estate which have benefited from S.M.A.R.T. @ Rotherwas initiatives.
She said: “T & G has shown that travel plans make good business sense and that eco warriors wear suits too! I am looking forward to working with all the T&G people to help them keep healthy hearts and wallets.”
A recent workplace survey showed that the majority of T&G’s 60 employees used cars to travel to work despite the fact they live in Hereford. Following the introduction of a number of incentive schemes to encourage cycling some workers have swapped their cars for bikes.
“Leaving the car at home even for just a day or two a week has not only reduced the impact our workers have on the environment but has also boosted their health and even those who cannot cycle in because they live too far away have taken the importance of fitness on board and set up a weekly walking club,” Mr Kirsz added.
The next step for T & G is to improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists and Herefordshire Council’s Travel Fund Grant may be able to help them to do this.
If you want to Save Money and Reduce Traffic at Rotherwas then why not contact Paula by calling 07792 880349 or email pmcgivern@herefordshire.gov.uk
