Many businesses are witnessing increased levels of activity right now as employees increasingly return to their offices and make more work-related journeys.
Some have even found the first few weeks of 2023 to be even busier than the pre-Covid era.
As a result, there are myriad potential benefits to be enjoyed by companies that rise to the occasion appropriately.
Companies of all sizes might want to consider refamiliarizing themselves with their travel strategies – and even adapting them, if appropriate.
Flexible and inclusive policies, which facilitate and improve the ability of employees to travel while also being sympathetic to their individual circumstances, are integral to this.
One key to success here is managing the grey fleet of employees who use their own older and more-polluting personal cars for work purposes.
The need to take charge of carbon emissions linked to these drivers will only increase as net zero ambitions gain momentum both domestically and internationally.
What’s more, it’s easy for the financial pressures exerted on grey fleet drivers to be overlooked, which is why car clubs – particularly when integrated with active travel and micro-mobility options such as bikes and scooters – could be worthy of consideration.
Now could be a good time for strategic conversations that ensure the smartest possible travel plans are in place for every team member – and particularly those that don’t have a company car.
It’s possible for all businesses to capture the data they need to understand where they can drive more sustainable mobility habits.
This is vital as they strive for net zero while simultaneously harnessing economies among their business travellers.
Compliance and booking platforms yielding real-time data about the right vehicles for specific journeys can ensure the best-informed decisions are consistently made prior to travelling.
The data gathered here can also help suppliers ensure that travel plans truly meet a company’s current and evolving requirements.
If the start of 2023 is anything to go by, this could be a good time for businesses of all sizes to review their travel plans.
But it remains essential to implement fully-informed decisions surrounding mobility requirements both strategically and thoughtfully.
That’s how fleet and travel managers can help to secure the right outcome for their organisation.
Paul McCorkell is director of business rental UK & Ireland at Enterprise
