Travel

We aim to increase the provision of efficient cars for business purposes, reduce our business mileage where feasible and support our employees by offering sustainable travel options.

A key element is our car share scheme, introduced in 1998 in our main centre in Swindon and now extended to our Northampton site. Over 1,400 employees have registered in Swindon. Car sharers receive priority parking. In addition, if for unforeseen reasons a planned car share does not take place, Nationwide pays for a taxi for the inconvenienced employee. We are looking to relaunch the car share intranet site to make it easier for employees to plan their journeys.

Debbie Turner, of our Poole High Street branch, has cycled to work for 17 years, come rain or shine.

Nationwide’s award-winning travel plan encourages employees to consider a range of other options and in 2006/07 we held further roadshows to raise awareness. Options include free lunchtime buses from our Swindon site. Employees can also buy bikes through our flexible benefits scheme, with dedicated cycle storage, showers and changing facilities available at our Swindon, Northampton and Wakefield sites. Videoconferencing is also encouraged where feasible, and our employment policies support flexible working and home working. A specific travel plan has also now been agreed for our Wakefield call centre.

Through a new initiative with our supplier, we also encourage the use of diesel cars where car hire is needed for business travel. Read more in Suppliers and Partners.

In terms of our company cars, CO2 emissions per car has continued to decrease due to improved engine efficiencies and the shift to diesel cars, which now makes up 50% of the fleet.

Business travel by road, air and rail (millions of km)

See data table with more detail.

back to top