How can businesses make lower-carbon commuting easier for their people – without making it complicated?
In this practical webinar, we look at the benefits of smarter commuting for businesses, employees and the environment, and share some of what we’ve learned through the first year of Swap One in Nelson Tasman.
We cover the what, why and how of encouraging behaviour change, with practical tools, local examples and ideas workplaces can put into action – from supporting people to walk, bike or bus, to creating a workplace culture that makes trying something different feel achievable.
Watch the webinar above, or read on for some of the key takeaways, our Year One results and what’s coming next for Swap One.
Year One Results
In the first year of our Swap One initiative, our participants:
- Swapped more than 14,000 trips
- Travelled 110,000 kilometres by lower-carbon transport
- Avoided an estimated 25 tonnes of emissions
Cycling was the most popular alternative in both Nelson and Tasman, while walking accounted for 13–14% of swapped trips.
The eBus was also a suggested alternative, and if you aren’t familiar with the bus,
there are a few things you may find useful to know.
- Nelson Tasman’s urban eBus routes run every 30 minutes between 7am and 7pm.
- Because the two Nelson–Richmond services are staggered, there is effectively a bus every 15 minutes between the two centres.
- You can track your bus live, carry a bike on the rack at the front, or take a folded bike or scooter onboard. Bee Card users can also transfer between services twice, provided each trip is completed within an hour and the whole journey within two hours. You can find routes, fares and live tracking at eBus.
A reminder, too, that Swap One records journeys genuinely swapped. If you already cycle to work every day, choose another trip – such as going to the shops or visiting friends – that you would otherwise have made by car.
Changes for year-two
We know that many of you are concerned about safety on the roads. Well, the
Government has now confirmed several changes designed to make active and
public transport safer and easier. Once they take effect:
- Children aged 12 and under will be able to cycle on footpaths, accompanied
by an older rider - Drivers will need to leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists and
other vulnerable road users - E-scooters will be permitted in cycle lanes
- Drivers will need to give way to buses leaving stops where the speed limit is
60km/h or less
The Ministry of Transport expects these changes to take effect before the end of
2026.
Launch event for year two
Building on the success of year one, we are now planning a year two launch for Thurs 24 Sept – Swap One Low-Carbon Commute Breakfast: Come Bright!
We’ll be able to tell you about our plans for year two, including:
- More commute clinics and workplace events
- Greater support for workplace facilitators
- An ambassador programme for experienced low-carbon commuters
- More information about safe commuting
- Monthly progress reports for participating workplaces, with an opt-out for people who do not want their information included
Whether you walk, bike, bus, scooter, carpool or work from home, every genuine
swap helps.