In March, Lorely Burt presented the Flexible Working Bill before parliament. It is good to see David Cameron coming out in support of this initiative today.
One thing which is often not mentioned in relation to this issue is the huge potential improvementsto traffic problems that could be caused by more flexible working.
It really is crazy to have everyone haring into offices for 9am or 9.30am and then bursting out at 5pm or 5.30pm. It creates enormous traffic jams in concentrated periods at either end of the day. This wastes people's time, causing economic and environmental damage.
Even a modicum of flexible working with, for example, more workers starting at 8am and leaving at 4.30pm would bring a huge benefit in terms of reducing traffic congestion.
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A further way to reduce peak-hour traffic would be to extend the hours for over-60s' travel passes. In many areas where these are available, they have a restriction to stop people using them in the morning peak, or sometimes in the evening peak as well - depends on the council.
ReplyDeleteA large number of over-60s work and have to travel at peak times. If they could have free bus passes valid for rush hours, it would be a powerful economic incentive to leave their cars at home.