TRANSPORT
HAVE YOUR SAY AND HELP SHAPE THE REGION’S TRANSPORT NETWORK South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) is calling on businesses of all shapes and sizes to help them better understand work and travel plans in a post-pandemic future, and to inform the roadmap to rebuild the region’s public transport network
SYPTE is asking all businesses across the region to play their part and share their thinking on how employees could return to the workplace once coronavirus restrictions are lifted. Mayor of the Sheffield City Region Dan Jarvis said: “As we optimistically look forward to exiting the pandemic, engaging businesses on what their employees need and expect from bus and tram services will help our recovering public transport network to ensure services are both convenient and viable. We must make our public transport system one that serves communities and helps people get to the places they need to be.” SYPTE’s Employer Survey, launched in March, follows on from previous research undertaken in 2020 that looked at people’s travel
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habits in and beyond lockdown. Tim Taylor, director of customer services at SYPTE, said: “We want to understand what future commuting patterns will be like and make sure we’re rebuilding South Yorkshire’s public transport network to meet those travel needs. “We’re asking, will employees carry on working from home? Do businesses predict a quick return to the office, and will people be working there full or parttime? And for those heading back to the workplace, how are they planning to travel there? “The answers to these questions will help to identify expected demand on the network and contribute to shaping our recovery plans for public transport, walking and cycling. Our priority is to ensure that everyone can
...engaging businesses on what their employees need and expect from bus and tram services will help our recovering public transport network to ensure services are both convenient and viable.
travel safely and that we keep South Yorkshire moving.” Whilst the message continues to be an instruction for everyone who can work from home to continue to do so, the government’s recently released ‘four-step roadmap’ means that this guidance will remain in place until 21 June 2021 at the earliest. By this time many office-based workers will have been working remotely for around 15 months and an en-masse return to the office appears to be unlikely. Increasing numbers of companies may be considering how they can adopt a more hybrid model of working or bring back their employees to the workplace in a phased manner. The survey is open until Wednesday 28 April 2021 and employers are encouraged to get involved by visiting: http:// bit.ly/travel-survey-mar-21.
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