Public transport has a less than favourable image at the moment, and this is sometimes matched by poor services and low reliability, but too often public transport gets written off as a viable alternative to car use without any real attempt to see what is available.

The situation should improve. Local Transport Plans include extensive public transport improvements such as a more comprehensive bus lane network and other bus priority measures, to provide a more integrated network to town centres, schools and railway stations.

Select one of the options below to get some ideas on how to get the most out of the available public transport options.

• Public transport information

Ensure any information you provide is kept up to date - staff will be put off by out of date timetables and maps

Employees will not switch to public transport if they're not aware of the services that exist. One of the simplest actions you can take as a company is the provision of timetables, maps and other information in major staff meeting places around the worksite. You can also put the information on the company's intranet if you have one. The cost of providing this service to your employees is limited, but there will be a cost in terms of the time spent setting up the information and, importantly, the time spent keeping the information up to date. Incorrect information can be more problematic than no information at all.

• Discounts and subsidies

You may want to consider providing interest free loans or subsidise the cost of buying season tickets

Increasingly, large organisations are negotiating discounts with local transport operators, encouraging employees to use public transport to get to work. Depending on how large a company you are, you may be able to negotiate your own corporate discount. This can reduce the demand for parking and provides a company benefit to staff, including those that already use public transport. This might go some way towards providing an alternative perk to the company car. It also widens the potential labour pool to include those that do not have access to their own vehicle.

Some large organisations subsidise or run their own works buses and this may be something you could consider. Since the March 1999 Budget, a subsidy for buses bringing staff to and from work is no longer a taxable 'benefit in kind'. There is, of course, a cost associated with the provision of this type of service, but this must be weighed against the cost of providing extra parking and of limiting the potential labour pool.

• Encouraging rail travel

Nationally only 1 in 20 journeys to work is made by rail

Call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 for information on rail travel anywhere in the UK

We're all acutely aware of the problems being experienced with rail travel in the UK at the moment, and there is undeniably a lot of work to be done before the rail network is up to scratch, but services vary and you might find that taking the train to work is easier than you imagined.

Rail travel reduces the expense of parking and the stress of finding somewhere to leave the car. It can also allow employees the time to work or hold internal meetings whilst travelling to their destination, particularly useful for those last minute adjustments before an important meeting. The train is often the best way to get into the centre of traffic-restricted and congested town centres, and according to statistics, is safer than car travel and considerably less polluting.

The main cost of travelling by train is the rail fare itself, though this should be compared with the cost of driving: fuel, parking, 'wear and tear' and road accidents. Rail travel may be very competitive on some intercity journeys and on journeys to urban areas where parking is not only difficult but expensive. Remember also, that congestion and delays are making road travel more and more unreliable, and this is set to get worse.

You may like to consider the provision of interest free loans for season tickets, running a shuttle bus to and from the nearest station, and, if size warrants it, the provision of a travel centre within the company to deal with season ticket loans, information and enquiries.

• Taking the bus to work

4 million people use buses every day in the UK. The average double-decker bus carries as many people as 22 cars and takes up just a seventh of the road space

Call the National Traveline on 0870 6082 608 for bus and coach service information in the UK

Encouraging staff to take the bus to work will reduce car-parking pressure and promote a good company image of civic responsibility. Travelling by bus removes the stress of driving in congested traffic, alleviates the problems of finding a parking space, and gives employees the opportunity to read or work, listen to music, or just chat with friends or colleagues. Bus lanes can mean that buses arrive sooner than the car and there are more bus lanes planned as part of Local Transport Plans throughout the region.

To enable staff to have confidence in the bus network, ensure that bus timetables are readily available and encourage those that already use the bus and are familiar with the route to share their knowledge with other employees. You may want to consider providing interest free loans or staff discounts for buying season tickets, travel cards or daily travel tickets in bulk. Work with local bus companies to improve routes and passenger waiting facilities. It's a good idea, and it may be necessary, to offer a guaranteed alternative way home (like a taxi) in case anyone misses that last bus home, if they were working late for example.