Fresh Ways to Work, an initiative launched last October by Network St Albans under the previous Liberal Democrat administration, has received a boost by way of a prestigious endorsement from the Undersecretary of State for Transport, Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker.

The Fresh Ways to Work project is part funded by the European Union, and aims to promote sustainable transport methods throughout St Albans. In particular there is a focus on asking business leaders of small- to medium-sized companies within St Albans to encourage their staff to get to work in a more eco-friendly manner.

In a statement released by the Department of Transport, Norman Baker said: “I want to congratulate you on the launch of ‘Fresh Ways to Work’. Research has shown that workplace travel plans typically reduce commuter car driving by between 10 and 30 percent, though the best ones achieve typically more than that.”

He continued: “By engaging all the small and medium sized businesses in your town in travel planning, you have the opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of your residents and those travelling through your town. I wish you the best of luck with this and all the other initiatives, both underway and planned.”

Stephen Joseph OBE and Chairperson for Network St Albans, said: “We’re delighted to receive this endorsement. We all know that traffic congestion is a big issue, particularly in the centre of St Albans and so we hope that this scheme will enable business owners and employees to think twice about their journey to work. Our travel planners are on hand with free travel advice to any business within St Albans, and we hope that companies continue to take advantage of the service.