Park & Ride
Offer discounted parking or bus tickets
Everyone loves saving money. Contact the bus companies that service your workplace to see if you can negotiate a discount for your employees on tickets to and from the Park & Ride, or contact Oxfordshire County Council to see if you can negotiate a discount on Park & Ride parking permits. You can also offer zero-interest loans that cover the cost of bus passes or Park & Ride parking permits and can be paid back over the year through automatic salary deductions.
Example
If Oxford University Hospitals staff give up their parking permit for six months, they can get free parking at 3 Park & Ride sites aherend free bus travel to work from the Park & Ride. If they don’t have a parking permit, they can still get free rides on the Park & Ride buses. Read the case study here.
Negotiate with bus companies to get on a route
Get on the map! If your travel survey and postcode mapping reveals sufficient need, you can then approach the relevant bus companies to propose things like schedule changes, additional or relocated stops, or route extensions that would allow your workplace to be serviced by buses that run to and from the most relevant Park & Rides. You can also look into running a shuttle or minibus to and from these Park & Ride sites at key times. Negotiations on either front may prove more successful if banding together with other nearby businesses so talk to your neighbours.
Example
Oxford Brookes University has partnered with Oxford Bus Company to run three bus lines to its campus, with a bus branded as the BROOKESbus. These buses are also open to the public. One of these lines runs between its three campus sites and two Park & Ride sites. It offers its staff half off on season tickets for BROOKESbus, with one aim being to encourage staff to use the Park & Ride sites. An annual pass only costs £122.50. It also offers staff free travel on the BROOKESbus if they agree to park only at the less populated campuses outside of Oxford instead of at the Oxford campus, effectively creating a private Park & Ride service.
Encourage cycling or walking from the Park & Ride
Building in a bit of active travel helps your employees get exercise and also saves them money because they will only need to pay for parking and not the bus. It could also be a solution if you are unable to secure sufficient bus connections between the Park & Ride sites and your workplace. See the cycling and walking sections for advice on how to encourage active travel.
Examples
University of Oxford encourages its staff to Park and Pedal or Stride by publicising quiet cycling routes from the Park & Ride sites, as well as the length of time it takes to walk from the closest one. Staff can apply for permits to park at a site outside the city centre and walk or cycle in. Secure bike parking is provided at this parking site to encourage bike commuting.
Cheney School runs a ‘try an electric bike’ scheme through Dash. It is easy to set up with no high upfront costs. Subscriptions start at £25 a month and include a helmet and lock, maintenance and insurance/replacement.
Updated February 2025