Personal Travel Plans
A Personal Travel Plan is when a resident makes an informed choice about a method of travel for a journey from home, with an emphasis on choosing a sustainable mode. A Personal Travel Plan is sometimes called Personalised Journey Plans or Individual Travel Marketing. Normally a Personal Travel Plan is the 'customised' aspect of a Residential Travel Plan.
Personal Travel Planning is a technique which:
- Delivers information, incentives and motivation to individuals to help residents voluntarily make sustainable travel choices
- Seeks to overcome the habitual use of the car
- Discourages unnecessary travel, through the provision of local or site-specific information
- Contributes to a suite of tools promoted under the general heading in the UK of 'Smarter Choices'
Typically delivered across large residential areas, the process of Personalised Travel Planning is managed by a Travel Plan Co-ordinator who:
- Makes direct contact with households
- Encourages residents to think about how they currently travel, and consider how they may make trips in more sustainable ways
- Identifies opportunities for the use of sustainable modes, and provides incentives
- Provides ongoing support and advice to encourage long term behaviour change
Techniques are tailored to each area and will typically include:
- Welcome packs for new residents, including a survey and a local Travel Guide
- Door to door / telephone surveys
- Focus groups
- Fliers / information in the local press / posters in public buildings
Residents who engage in the process will be provided with:
- Use of a 'Journey Planner'
- Travel diaries
- One to one travel advice
- Discounts for public transport and/or local cycle shops
- Free gifts as incentives - pedometers / water bottles etc.
For more information see Department for Transport Making Personal Travel Planning Work: Practitioners Guide
For help with your Residential Travel Plan / Personal Travel Plans, please contact The Workplace Travel Plan Company.
Watch a video tour of the Travel Plan Builder
“I am delighted with the travel plan builder, it is very easy to use and self explanatory”
Fiona Hughes
Ayr College
