Swansea University wins awards for its sustainable travel plans

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Swansea University added to its trophy cabinet another two awards for its sustainable travel plans and a special personal award recognising the outstanding contribution made by the University’s Sustainable Travel Officer.

The University deservedly took to the winner’s stage when its sustainable transport team were presented with their awards at the recent 2016 CILT Cymru Wales Transport and Logistics Annual Awards ceremony.  In total Swansea University has received three awards in just two weeks after beating off tough competition in the UK and Wales CILT Cymru awards. 

The CILT Cymru awards reflected the University’s amazing achievements in sustainable transport introduced as part of the opening of the Bay Campus. Since becoming a dual campus university in 2015 students and the general public have benefited from additional bus services and routes.

Jayne Cornelius wins CILT SPecial award‌Picture:  Jayne Cornelius of Swansea University receives an award from Welsh Government Minister Ken Skates (right), with Prof Stuart Cole, transport expert, representing CILT.

The Late Night student bus services has improved links to the night time economy not just for students but also for anyone along the route including those working in the hospitality industry.  The number 10 service has also proved useful to the communities within Sketty and Uplands as it provides a direct link to the train station.  The improvements made to cycle infrastructure have led to a reported huge increase in cycling along the Bay.

The two categories were:

Safety:  Swansea University, First Cymru and Swansea Students Union (winner)

This Award was presented for the successful ‘Late Night Student bus service’ which was introduced in September 2015 on the opening of the Bay Campus.  This was introduced in partnership on a ‘Use it or Lose it” basis with First Cymru taking the commercial risk with unknown patronage figures on their part. Promotion was carried out by Students Union, and First Cymru with the University Sustainable Travel Officer promoting and working with First to keep an eye on patronage figures. 

A late night bus user code of conduct was introduced and reassures users that the University takes student behaviour very seriously. This service also offers an opportunity for employees within the hospitality and healthcare sectors to travel to and from work. This service has been fully endorsed by the Safer Swansea Partnership, Swansea Police Liaison Team and Swansea night time economy partners.

The service was assessed at Easter 2016 and again in July of 2016 and the finding was that this new late night bus service has been  well used and has addressed safety of students as well as providing access to employment within jobs within the night time economy. The services have now increased from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes until almost 3am due to high patronage figures.

Jayne Cornelius, Swansea University Sustainable Travel Officer, said:

“Without the strong partnership working that exists between Swansea University, First Cymru, and Swansea Students’ Union the late night bus service would not have started or evolved into the successful service that we see today. Parents at Freshers this year were both impressed and reassured that a safe late night service is in part of the Unibus service that ‘Everyone can enjoy’.”

Partnership: Swansea University Bay Campus Travel Planning Group: (Highly Commended)

The membership of this group is Swansea University, First Cymru, City and County of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, Swansea Students’ Union, Police Liaison team and others.

The University has worked with an enthusiastic and dedicated team of partners who all have reasons why the transport options delivered as part of the Bay Campus opening must work to deliver a truly sustainable site.  Dual campus working with a 6 mile journey between the two has meant the team has had to identify clear and usable cycle routes between sites and also a truly sustainable and dedicated bus service which benefits the whole community.

Jayne Cornelius, Swansea University Sustainable Travel Officer, said:

“This partnership has worked because each and every member had a stake in the outcome, from increasing bus patronage, promoting active travel; especially cycling, as a viable and healthy travel option in line with the Welsh Government Active Travel Bill, and reducing the potential single occupancy vehicle movements between and to the Bay Campus.  Making single occupancy car travel the alternative mode of transport has been the key to this group’s success”.

The Award for Outstanding Contribution to CILT Cymru Wales

This is CILT Cymru’s special award, and is presented to an individual judged to have made a major contribution to The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Cymru Wales over a sustained period and, in doing so, helped the Institute to raise its profile. This is not an annual award and is presented to an individual who the CILT Cymru judges see as deserving recognition.

This individual award was presented to Jayne Cornelius, the Sustainable Travel Officer at Swansea University.  This was in recognition of the work carried out by Jayne over the last 16 years promoting travel planning and sustainable travel in the South West Wales region.  Previously working for the South West Wales Transport Consortia as the Regional Welsh Government Regional Travel Plan Coordinator Jayne was recognised as leading the way with the introduction and implementation of the Welsh Government Travel Plan Awards, Smart Travel Training programmes and the introduction and training of NHS Travel Plans back in 2007.

In 2010 Jayne’s work was recognised with the presentation of the Association of Commuter Transport (ACT) Award for UK Travel Planner of the Year.  

This latest award is really the icing on the cake, as this also recognises the work carried out since being employed by Swansea University in June 2014 as part of the Bay Campus delivery.

Jayne Cornelius said:

“I feel both honoured and privileged to have received this Award. On the night I looked around the room and wondered who would be receiving this special award?  When my name was called out I was so shocked and speechless!  Anyone who knows me would now how unusual that is!  I hope that my achievement will encourage more women into the industry which historically has been male-dominated. For someone working in the softer side of transport and logistics, namely travel planning and sustainable transport, I so am pleased to see this area of transport recognised as important within the industry.”

 

Swansea University, working with First Cymru, was recognised for its high standard and professional approach to passenger transport in a UK wide competition in the CILT(UK) Awards. The winning Passenger Transport Best Practice Award, honours excellence in the transport of passengers by road, rail, water or air. Swansea University is the first university to be recognised in these prestigious annual awards. Last year Heathrow Airport won this award.

CILT’s Annual Awards are designed to recognise outstanding achievement and to encourage the highest standards and a professional approach to the practice of logistics and transport.  

For more information and to see the list of 2016 winners

For more information about Swansea University’s Sustainability policies