Travel planners make tracks
Published Wednesday 11th January 12 in Council - news and information releases news
Meet your very own personalised travel planners who could revolutionise your journeys.
They are the key players in a special new, free, house-to-house scheme launched this week to help and advise residents on all aspects of their local travel and transport issues.
They are team leaders from the Turning Tides Neighbourhood Project and Travel Advisor Volunteers, who are part of Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Local Sustainable Transport Fund Programme, funded by the Department for Transport.
Teams will knock on doors to offer their 'Personalised Travel Planning' service.
This pilot project will begin in Milton and St Laurence wards. Then the scheme is due to be rolled out across the borough over the next two years.
Travel Advisor Volunteers and Turning Tides Team leaders have now become fully trained travel planners.
To assist their work they have also been given Bikeability training and bicycles to help them get around Southend.
As well as calling at households, they will take part in community events. Their brief is to discuss current travel arrangements and offer tailored advice and information about walking, cycling and public transport alternatives to all.
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, Councillor Tony Cox said: "We are very grateful indeed to our terrific volunteers who have undertaken very detailed training to enable them to offer the very best transport advice for residents.
"They aim to help make travelling around cheaper, easier and healthier for individuals and for families.
"In addition, they will feed back any comments from residents to help improve sustainable transport options in the area.
"They will also be able to direct residents to specific services to help them make the best use of transport opportunities.
"Travel Advisor Volunteers and Turning Tides Team Leaders will carry personal identification and will be easy to recognise by their red jacket uniforms. "
At the scheme's official launch, the Worshipful, the Mayor of Southend, Councillor David Norman presented certificates to the volunteers to acknowledge their achievements in completing their training, and to help boost their efforts as they venture forth into the community.
For more information about Personalised Travel Planning, please contact Anthony Quinn on 01702 356070 or email turningtides@savs-southend.co.uk