22/01/2014 - Lucketts racks up another specialist service
Lucketts Travel Group is giving workers on key defence contracts in Portsmouth the chance to get on their bikes and a bus for the daily commute.
New bike racks have been fitted to three buses used to take Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) staff to its Portsdown West site. Dstl asked Lucketts Travel Group to provide the extra service, with the South Coast's leading coach travel company more than happy to oblige. It means workers heading to Portsdown West from Fareham, Portsmouth, Denmead or Havant can cycle to the pick-up point and then strap their bike to the bus for the rest of the journey.
It's the first time that a travel company has offered this service in the Portsmouth area, so finding the right bike racks was key. Special bike racks for buses were sourced from a specialist US supplier and shipped to Lucketts to be fitted to the dedicated vehicles used on the routes.
Ian Luckett, Director of the family run firm, said, "As a keen cyclist I'm only too aware of the benefits of getting on your bike on a daily basis. Of course, not everyone is in a position to cycle longer distances to work. That's where our bike racks make a big difference, allowing Dstl workers to pedal from home to where our buses are waiting to pick them up."
Dstl's Travel Plan Co-ordinator, Darren Hall, explained, "Dstl is committed to encouraging staff to travel to work by sustainable methods. For staff to have the option of taking bikes on the bus will allow them greater flexibility in how they travel to work, and hopefully encourage more people to cycle into work."
Lucketts Travel Group has been working with Dstl for the last five years, providing workplace travel for the organisation. The scheme, which consists of three different bus services, helps to reduce the number of cars traveling to the Dstl site. This has a positive impact on congestion and pollution in the Fareham and Portsmouth area.
Each of the racks has space for two bikes and has been introduced for the start of the year. Lucketts Travel Group will evaluate the success of the scheme to see whether it would be useful for other workplace travel contracts and other services.