Sustainable Travel Allowance

Julia
City of Subiaco
132

Since January 2006 the city has offered staff the option of the sustainable travel allowance (STA) instead of a staff parking permit. On average, each year 40-50% of eligible staff choose the STA instead of a permit. All employees on the city’s payroll, other than casual employees receiving the 25% loading, are eligible to receive the STA.

To claim the Sustainable Travel Allowance staff must travel to work in any mode other than car as the driver. On average, about 54% of staff use public transport, 27% walk, 11% cycle, and 8% car pool.

Currently, the STA is $9 per day (after tax) and is simply logged on the staff member’s timesheet. Staff have reported that they find the STA a great incentive walk or cycle to work, or to use public transport more often. Those that would ordinarily do this find it to be a nice reward.

When staff first start working for the city they are offered the two options of STA or parking permit. On the 31 December each year STA selection and parking permits expire and so again staff have the option to switch to the STA.

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3 Comments

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Kylie (Your Move)

Wow! What a great way to encourage staff to leave their car at home and get to work by public transport, bike or foot. I can't believe this award winning allowance is turning 12. Do you have any advice for other local governments considering offering Sustainable Transport Allowance to staff?

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Julia

Hi Kylie - two top tips would be write a business case and get some stat's behind you. You want to know your staff current travel habits, and the proportion of staff that would leave the car at home if an STA was offered. And then how an STA would benefit your LG; staff health and wellbeing, reduced strain on staff parking, improve public perception of the LG to the community (corporate responsibility), and financial any benefits?

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Trevor

What an amazing idea! (I wish our workplace had this). Those stats for walk, bike & PT are huge and an 8% carpool rate is also pretty impressive.

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