Innovation in Personalised Travel Planning

Gloucestershire LSTF Case Study

Who am I?Cliff Jones – Director Go Travel

Solutions (UK South)

What are we going to cover?• Project Brief• The unique approach to PTP by the Project Team• How we used PTP to help Highways England, the

Local Community and Local Economy• Innovative Added Value services rolled out at

implementation – at no extra cost• The results of the engagement and lessons

learned• The tangible legacy of the project.

Project Brief• Contact 24,000 homes;• Engage with 6,000 homes;• Offer incentives to 6,000 homes;• See a reduction in car driver trips

of between 8%-14%; • Achieve a customer satisfaction

rate of 93%; and • Hit the four LTP3 objectives.

PTP Engagement area

The Project Team

• Go Travel Solutions Ltd • Harris Ethical Ltd • Integrated Transport Planning

Ltd (ITP)

The unique approach to PTP• Consortium of 3 specialist SMEs

successfully bid• Bid focused on localism and

community• Staffed from local pool of

unemployed and supported living candidates through referral partners

• Weeks training focused on PTP skills and customer service

• At it’s peak the programme employed 28 – 25% went onto employment after leaving

• All ‘ materials’ for the project sourced from Local SME supply chain

How we used PTP to help the Local Community and Local Economy

Triple benefit principle;• £1 spent to achieve project aims

Leads to• £1 spent in local supply chain (stimulates

local economy and secures employment locally)

• £1 in the pockets of local work force – with local knowledge and insights

Additionally• They spend their wages in local shops –

further stimulation of the local economy

Highways England

• Major gyratory infrastructure schemes implemented in Gloucester by (then) HA £3.1m

• Significant disruption expected during construction phase• PTP ‘door knocks’ in effected locality pushed forward in PTP

programme• Used as introduction to PTP – but badged as feedback and information service to effected residents (5 Rs and ‘get ahead of

the games’)• This was hugely appreciated by residents and Councillors

Innovative Added Value

• Supermarket engagement programme• Bus operator timetable changes• Estate Agents – buyers and letters• New developments – and developers• Cross sell of other services / programs

 

The results • Contacted 29,579 homes (35,000 ‘knocks’) 23% over target;• Engaged with 10,369 homes during the first phase of door to

door engagement;• 7% mode shift globally – 10% change for all ‘detailed’ visits• Advisors attended 34 events between March 2014 and January

2015 – 846 individual engagements• Total project cost of £14.03 per single contact – minus the cost of

incentives, materials and other ‘non delivery’ costs this drops to £6.37 per household

• Against successful engagements the price is £18.17 – in parity with DfT’s average price

• However, for this money we were able to provide consultation of highway schemes, provide early warning of bus timetable

changes and cross sell other Council services and projects – as well as providing direct feedback to officers

Lessons• Intensive ‘knocking’ programme of circling back within focused area each

night works – increases engagements• DfT methodology requires numerous stages – actually reduced number of

stages (rolling together) works better• Verses regular consultation (3%-7%) – 20-50% engagement achieved • Public love to be spoken to directly by the Council – and politically well

received• Be flexible with messages – support local schemes and other programmes• Provide two way mechanism – not preaching• Talk to other parts of the Council (ITU/DC etc.) – increase the pot• SERVICE NOT SURVEY

Legacy• Established structure and local partnerships with ‘buy in’• Increased employability of Advisors in Customer Service and Hospitality

sectors• Pool of experienced staff for mobalisation on other projects (GCC ITU)• Additional Local Travel material – deliberately designed to be accessible for

future projects• ‘Information’ template hugely successful and politically well received• Buy in from estate agents and developers (up to 50% household

engagement)

Developer PTP 

Jobseekers Advice programme

• Same materials• Website coaching

• Train the trainers programme

Estate Agents Service• Same materials• Used as ‘amenity’ sales kit for new occupiers• Kept up to date though engagement with local

operators • Recycles neighborhood guides developed for PTP• Drives traffic to Thinktravel website

Communities Connected CIC• Incorporated January 2015 – a joint venture between Go Travel

Solutions and Harris Ethical• Designed to inherit materials and skills from core project – and

continue the work• Can employ individuals and leaver funding through Charity grants

and joint ventures• Commissioned by other areas of Gloucestershire Council /

consultants and partners

Contact for more informationCliff JonesGo Travel Solutions Ltd.The Innovation Centre,Carpenter House.Broad Quay.Bath BA1 1UD

Cliff.jones@go-travel-solutions.com 07807 820 318