LTA rolls out funding scheme to promote flexible travel for employees

New Travel Smart Network to provide up to $160,000 in grants.

Here’s the Land Transport Authority’s solution for thousands of commuters exhausted by the daily rush hour. The LTA today launched a new Travel Smart Network to encourage more companies to create supportive environments for flexi-travel for their employees.

This initiative will allow employees be able to travel on public transport during off-peak periods, and to take up sustainable modes of travel such as cycling and walking, thereby reducing the demand for peak hour travel.

According to the LTA, “For a start, LTA will partner companies based near MRT stations with a staff strength of more than 200 employees. Employers play a pivotal role in enabling shifts in the travel patterns of their employees. Since October 2012, 12 companies have participated in a pilot to implement various initiatives such as tele-commuting and allowing staff to work from home before travelling to office after the morning peak period.”

Here’s more from LTA:

Corporate-Tier Travel Smart Rewards for which employees of Travel Smart Network companies can enroll and enjoy an attractive sign-up points bonus.

From 1 November 2014, Travel Smart Consultancy Voucher of up to $30,000 to engage approved consultants to conduct employee travel pattern analysis and develop travel demand management action plans tailored to the needs of the company and its employees.

These will help companies gain an insight into their employees’ travel patterns and understand the motivating factors, as well as determine potential Travel Smart measures.

Participating organisations can benefit from expert advice on understanding employees’ concerns, and opportunities with regard to more flexible travel and work arrangements for employees, thereby reducing unnecessary work-commuting, and realising productivity gains. 

Travel Smart Grant of up to $160,000 annually for three years to co-fund the cost of initiatives which companies put in place to support the adoption of flexi-travel arrangements by their employees.

These include arrangements that give employees the flexibility to travel to work earlier or later after the morning peak period, use more sustainable modes of transport like cycling, or reduce the need to travel by working away from the office. Please refer to Annex A for the list of possible initiatives under the Travel Smart Grant.