One week traffic jam no holiday

May 19 2008 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

THE AA has warned employers their staff waste the equivalent of a week’s holiday each year stuck in needless traffic jams.

The motoring group has joined forces with flexible working campaigners to push home the benefits that would come from changes to routine office hours.

The Work Wise North East campaign aims to see a change in the number of staff allowed to work from home, with the region currently having the lowest number of staff given the opportunity to skip the lengthy trip to work.

Research by the campaigners has claimed staff spend 29 working days each year travelling to work, a figure they say is simply wasted time.

Simon Roberson, chairman of Work Wise North East said: “In a world increasingly driven by the internet and mobile communications, the requirement to travel to and from work at the same time to the same place every weekday is going to look more and more old-fashioned.

“This, and travelling many miles to attend meetings, will be increasingly unnecessary considering the technology available, and the nature of the global market.”

His calls have been backed by motoring group the AA, who agreed the majority of rush-hour congestion could be reduced if businesses followed the Work Wise advice.

Edmund King, AA president said: “The equivalent of our annual holiday from work is lost commuting by car. Mondeo man has been hit with an 11% increase in his car running costs in the last year so may wish to consider car-sharing, eco driving, avoiding the rush, taking the bus or if possible working from home even one day per week.

“Getting people out of their cars and on to public transport, cycling and walking is a solution which has been promoted for decades, with particular success in London.

“However, as the population of many urban centres continues to grow, take up of flexible working practices is becoming an increasingly important way to reduce the strain on the transport networks.”

Tips and advice are available on the website www.workwiseuk.org.