Title: Motors and Modems
Description: In 1997 the RAC Foundation commissioned a report entitled "Motors and Modems" which was aimed at addressing the question of how teleworking, teleconferencing and home shopping could reduce congestion on our roads. The initial research was conducted by the National Economic Research Associates (NERA) in London. Earlier this year the UK Government was producing a Ten Year Transport Plan for publication in June 2000 but the Foundation felt that e-work was not adequately addressed . Hence the RAC Foundation convinced the Government to give financial support to co-fund the research with help from the Motorists' Forum of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, and so the Foundation commissioned NERA to update the original research to take account of technological changes. The report was then fed into the Government's Ten Year Plan and was used to generate considerable publicity on the benefits of tele-working.
Participants: Edmund King, Executive Director of the RAC Foundation commissioned the research in conjunction with the Motorists Forum of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. "Motors and Modems Revisited: the role of technology in reducing travel demands and congestion" was produced by John Dodgson, Jonathan Pacey and Michael Begg at NERA. The report was sent to relevant Government departments, was used as a paper at the UK Telework 2000 conference and was used to instigate extensive press coverage.
Objectives: The objectives were threefold:
1. To ensure that the government considered the role of technology in reducing travel demands in their Ten Year Transport Plan.
2. To update the original research conducted in 1997 to include technological advances.
3. To increase public awareness of the benefits of teleworking, teleconferencing and home shopping.
Achievements:
1. Ten year plan : The plan referred to the work and the section on Future Choices pointed out that " predictions of the effects of greater use of the internet, of e-commerce and of teleworking vary considerably. More widespread use of such technologies could for example lead to more home-based or local employment with a consequent impact on transport patterns" (Transport 2010 The Ten Year Plan DETR).
As a further result the Government's new Transport and Technology Division agrees that Motors and Modems "has set minds thinking here. My new division - Transport Technology and Telematics - will be looking at the impact of the internet (and technology generally) on transport...So we are planning to invite bids to carry out a review and assessment of the literature which would help us to understand what experts think is likely to happen."
2. The research was successful in updating the original work and included input from British Telecommunications experts and the Transport Research Laboratory.
3. To increase public awareness
The original press launch in June 2000 was successful in increasing public awareness via the media. This was followed up in September 2000 with a further release "Dump the pump, Get a modem" which linked the work to the issue of the fuel protests and the Telework 2000 conference.
The findings of the report reached more than five million members of the public both in the UK and Europe as the RAC Foundation conducted over 40 Television and radio interviews on the subject. These included interviews on BBC Breakfast Television, GMTV, BBC News 24 Television, Sky News (Europe), and BBC Radio Scotland.
Other interviews included : Kingdom FM, BBC Gloucestershire, BBC Three Counties, News Direct, Clan FM, LBC, BBC Northampton, BBC Essex, BBC Newcastle, BBC Lancs, BBC Devon, BBC Dorset, BBC Cambridge, BBC Derby, BBC Nottingham, BBC Thames Valley, Red Rose FM, Magic FM, BBC Merseyside, BBC Hereford and Worcester, BBC Stoke, BBC GMR, BBC Leeds, BBC Berkshire, Clyde FM, Scot FM, Northsound, QFM and Tay FM.
Extensive press coverage included features in the Financial Times, Evening Standard, Local Transport Today, Fleet News and articles in an extensive range of regional, local and specialist publications.
Description of activity:
The following press release and individual briefings of journalists, government officials and politicians was the main means of disseminating the information. This was followed by another release linked to the Teleworking 2000 conference and the fuel protests. Interested parties were also referred to the NERA website to read a full version of the report.
Press release
Motors or Modems ? How technology can reduce traffic congestion
Virtual journeys on the superhighway could reduce growth in traffic congestion on the real highway by up to 45%, suggests a new report launched by the RAC Foundation today.
Nightmare forecasts of traffic congestion could be avoided as drivers travel by modem as well as motor. The study by National Economic Research Associates, "Motors and Modems Revisited", updates previous work for the RAC Foundation on the role of technology in reducing travel demands. The report studies experiences in other countries, previous survey work and the current views of telecommunications experts.
The report shows that within five years:
· Teleworking could cut commuter traffic by up to 10%
· Video & audio conferencing could cut business travel by up to 3%
· Use of information technology could cut lorry journeys by up to 16%
· Teleshopping could reduce car trips to the shops by up to 5%
The report shows that within ten years the equivalent figures could be up to:
· 15% reduction in commuter traffic
· 5% reduction in business travel
· 18% reduction in Heavy Goods Vehicle journeys
· 10% reduction in car shopping
Edmund King, Executive Director of the RAC Foundation, said:
"The recent increase in teleshopping with the advent of the world wide web, not only for personal transactions but also for business use, could have important effects on travel.
"In the past estimates concerning the potential of teleworking have been exaggerated and estimates in this area remain uncertain due to the question of substituted journeys. However, If each employee could work from home just one day per week we would see a twenty per cent cut in traffic, equivalent to removing the school run. Today's technology is better and cheaper so more employees have the chance to work some of the time from home.
" It remains to be seen whether motorists working from home would substitute their commuting journeys with other social or leisure trips. Even if this did happen there would still be benefits as the substitution journeys would tend to be made outside of the peak periods.
"The e-highway has a vital role to play in curbing congestion chaos on the real highway."
The report also reveals
· TRL research suggests that quality of life and reduced commuting time for workers, and employee flexibility and office space for employees, are the main reasons for teleworking.
· Teleworkers are more likely to have higher incomes and live further from their place of work.
· Motorway service areas could become work stations to avoid city centre travel.
· A survey of 43 BT home workers estimates that the average annual miles saved in travel from the home to office mostly by car is 3149.
· BT also estimate that it has saved 150 million business miles in a year by conferencing.
· The benefits to the economy in reduced congestion costs could be up to £1.3 billion by 2005 and up to £1.9 billion by 2010.
As a result of the report, the RAC Foundation is calling for:
· Publicity measures to publicise the advantages of teleworking and other transport substitution action to both employers and employees.
· Leading by example, the Government could develop and encourage home working by its own employees.
· More research into the present extent of telecommuting and potential future benefits.
· Development of smart card ticketing so that transport suppliers can offer more flexible tickets, for example, three day season tickets, to encourage teleworking.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
"Motors and Modems Revisited: the role of technology in reducing travel demands and congestion" was produced by John Dodgson, Jonathan Pacey and Michael Begg at NERA. John Dodgson can be contacted on 020 7659 8556
The research was jointly funded by the RAC Foundation and the Motorists' Forum.
The report will be available on the NERA website at http://www.nera.com
- Companies are already benefiting from increased use of videoconferencing. Lex Vehicle Leasing estimates that the company has saved approx. 350,000 miles of saved journeys due to extensive use of videoconferencing between their offices in Manchester and Marlow.
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