There are about 200 cars, 60 utilities and 40 vans in the Christchurch City Council car fleet. Of those, about 100 do fewer than 10,000km a year and 24 clock up less than 6000km a year.

The Council decided to rationalise the fleet. It aimed for 39 fewer cars, brought in a centralised booking system to more efficiently use the fleet, and it introduced an electronic card system which collects information as vehicles come into and out of the carparks. The aim is to do away with paper running sheets.

The system allows all cars available to staff in the main building in Tuam Street, where nearly 800 of the 1200 staff are housed, to be accessed by all staff. It also allows a more efficient maintenance schedule.

The Seven Habits of Highly Efficient Drivers, a pamphlet produced by The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, is placed in every car to encourage better driving habits.

The City Council has used money normally spent on cars to buy bicycles that are used as part of the transport pool. The bikes are booked in the same way as Council pool cars. The number of trips made using Council cars has dropped by 3.5 per cent since the bicycles have been available.

The Council also encourages staff to use their own bikes during working hours — like a vehicle mileage claim, staff members can claim a $1 allowance if they use their own bike to go to meetings during working hours.

What can you do?

• Organise and run a walking school bus
• Ride a bike — the city has many well laid out streets with cycleways
• Take a bus — The public transport system is always improving
• Use the free shuttle bus
• Staff bikes — Suggest your company gets some bikes.