Media Release
Basel, 5 August 2010
Forward-looking mobility concept for Roche employees at Basel and Kaiseraugst sites
From January 2011 onwards, employees will be rewarded for leaving their cars at home
In five years’ time the new office building at Roche's Basel headquarters will be ready to accommodate about 1900 employees whose offices are currently scattered all over the city. Therefore, a carefully considered “mobility concept” is essential. Roche has drafted a sustainable concept, which takes into account the feedback received from local residents in response to the development plan submitted in March, but also considers the needs of the company's employees. Public transport and non-motorised transport (e.g. bicycles), together with measures designed to optimise the necessary motorised private transport, will have a decisive role to play: going to work by bus, tram or bike will be strongly encouraged.
Today, the key points of the new concept were presented to the Building and Planning Commission of the Canton of Basel-Stadt as part of the official process. The Commission will now prepare its recommendation to the city parliament. The finalised mobility concept willl be submitted to the Construction and Planning Office in October, together with a separate building application for the new office building.
What will change for Roche employees
Basically, only those employees whose journey to work takes longer than 45 minutes door to door by public transport will receive a parking space. Furthermore, employees who take longer than 45 minutes to get to work by public transport but would take just as long or longer by car will no longer be entitled to a parking space.
Roche is introducing these regulations to encourage employees to use environmentally friendly means of transport. In future, employees who travel to work using a “green” transport mode will be rewarded with a mobility bonus. Employees allocated a parking space will have to pay a parking fee.
Employees who cycle to work will find all the necessary infrastructure at Roche. Facilities such as bike racks, repair kits, tyre inflation points, charging points for electric bikes, showers and lockers are all available – and will be upgraded further in the medium term.
Pivotal role of public transport in the Basel region
Roche is aiming for improved public transport links to its Basel and Kaiseraugst sites. The company relies on constructive cooperation with the Cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft and Aargau to achieve a significant improvement in the public transport situation (routes, frequencies and stops) over the short to medium term. This is necessary to make public transport a genuine alternative to motorised private transport for employees and to reduce traffic in the districts surrounding the Roche headquarters. The company's main requirements have already been discussed with the authorities.
Roche expects its new mobility concept to reduce employee demand for parking spaces. Depending on the actual outcome of the new regulation, Roche will be reassessing its parking space requirements in Basel before the end of 2011 and will respond by renting or building the necessary parking spaces in time for the move to the new office building.
Roche in Switzerland
With research and development expenditure of around CHF 1.9 billion and investments of over CHF 420 million annually, Roche in Switzerland is an important part of the Roche Group's global research, development and production network. Roche employs a total of about 9,500 people at Group headquarters in Basel, sites in northwestern and central Switzerland and at locations in the Cantons of Berne and Zurich. As a leader in pharmaceuticals and in-vitro diagnostics, Roche generated sales of around CHF 500 million in Switzerland in 2009. More information: www.roche.ch