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Hāereere Wāhi Mahi Toitū
Sustainable workplace travel

Support your employees to walk, cycle and take public transport to improve their health and wellbeing and help reduce city emissions.

New ways to move around the capital

New transport infrastructure programmes like Paneke Pōneke are making it easier for people to choose more sustainable transport options. Workplaces can help rethink how we use our transport network to get to and from work.

Benefits of sustainable travel 

Improves staff health and wellbeing 

Walking and biking boosts physical fitness and enhances the mental well-being of your workforce. 

Reduces workplace emissions  

Transport makes up approximately 56.2% of the city's overall emissions, so changing how we travel has a big impact in Pōneke. Moving your workplace to more sustainable transport can help reduce city emissions and meet your workplace's sustainability goals. 

Reduced costs 

Encouraging sustainable transport options can help reduce fleet and fuel costs. Staff commuting sustainably also reduces their individual travel costs.

How we can work with you

Our team has a wealth of knowledge about sustainable transport opportunities for Wellington workplaces. We can connect you with helpful people and resources, as well as discuss ways to encourage active and public transport to reach your workplace goals in sustainability, carbon-emissions reduction or staff well-being.

Let’s kōrero. Email us at sustainable.transport@wcc.govt.nz to set up a time to chat, or to receive our email updates.

Workplace commuting survey

To understand your staff’s current commuting habits and opportunities for other travel choices, we recommend running a workplace travel survey – along with other ways of data collection, such as assessing your physical site and policies. Check out NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi's travel planning toolkit for further information.

You can now use our staff commuting Microsoft Forms survey, complete with branching questions and automatic results presentation for your workpace. Alternatively, use our list of questions (121KB DOCX) to set up your own survey using your application of choice.

Get survey template

Help your team travel more sustainably

Facilities for active commuting

As safe bike and scooter routes and walking improvements are implemented across the city to make active commuting safer and easier, workplaces can do their bit by providing:

  • changing rooms and showers
  • storage such as lockers
  • a place where people can dry wet rainjackets and rainpants
  • sufficient, secure, and accessible parking for bikes and scooters.

For useful links to examples and advice, please refer to the resources section.

 

Massey University

In July 2023, Massey University, Wellington received funding from the Active Transport Workplace Fund (now closed) to help boost their End of Journey Facility project. The funding was used to provide bike racks, a bike fix-it stand and bike accessibility ramp. The project ensures that safe and secure end-of-trip facilities are available for people wanting to ride a bike to work.

Fringe benefit tax exemptions 

Bikes, e-bikes, scooters, electric scooters, public transport and micromobility share services are exempt from fringe benefit tax where they are being used for commuting to and from work. Businesses can take advantage of this to help support their staff to commute more sustainably at a reduced cost.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has guidance for employers on how to set up e-bike purchase support schemes.

Ride-to-work staff benefit programmes

Since April 2023, bikes, scooters, and public transport benefits have been exempt from Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) in New Zealand, making it easier for workplaces to support cycle-commuting.

Through ride-to-work programmes offered by their employer, employees can buy a bike or scooter for commuting and pay it off over time using pre-tax salary. The effective cost is reduced through tax savings and spreading payments over 12 months or more further reduces the cost barrier. Employees can choose from a wide range of bikes and scooters at participating bike shops and start riding to work right away.

Providers like Workride, The Wheel Deal, and Vapaus help with programme admin, ensure tax compliance and may provide financing and insurance. Learn more on the providers' websites here:

Workplace e-bike fleets and public share micromobility 

Local bike shops in Wellington can help with setting up a fleet of e-bikes for your staff to use, as well as providing short-term hires or longer term subscriptions for staff looking to trial riding to work. See bike shops in Wellington (Google Maps) .

Staff can also make use of public e-scooter and e-bike share schemes operating in Wellington.

Upskill your staff

Bikespace

Bikespace is our free bike workshop on the waterfront. It includes a mock bus bike rack for people to practice putting their bike on the bus. The Mobile Bikespace – a cargo bike kitted out with everything needed to do repairs on the run – can visit your workplace and help your team become more bike savvy. To book a workspace visit or find out more, email bikespace@wcc.govt.nz.

Note: From 9 November 2024, Metlink has temporarily stopped the use of bike racks on its buses until further notice, following guidance from the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

 

Working with Bikespace feedback

"Victoria University of Wellington had the best experience working with the Bikespace team offering our students and staff workshops to empower and increase their bicycle related knowledge and to undertake their own bike maintenance with confidence."
Feedback from the VUW Sustainability Team, June 2023.

Pedal Ready 

Pedal Ready offers free cycle skills training and they can visit your workplace. Find out more on the Pedal Ready website.

Protect against theft

Staff can register their bikes with 529 Garage to protect against theft and increase their chances of getting their bike back if it does get stolen. Learn how it works on the 529 Garage website, or see it in action with this video from Greater Wellington Regional Council and the New Zealand Police.

Workplace events

Encourage your team to walk or bike more by organising workplace initiatives or participating in public events such as Walk to Work Day and Go by Bike Day. The workplace Aotearoa Bike Challenge typically takes place each February in New Zealand. Staff can log rides and access a wealth of cycling tips and short courses anytime on the Aotearoa Bike Challenge website.

Greater Wellington's Workplace Travel Forum

Workplace representatives from around the Wellington region meet every quarter to share how sustainable transport works for them – sign up to the forum.

Resources

Find out about sustainable commuting options and travel planning for your workplace:

 

Did you know?

166km of paths are underway as a part of Paneke Pōneke – bike network plan.

Read about Paneke Pōneke