Living Car Free - Mazda Motor Corp. is recommending its employees walk to the office

This is just to crazy to believe. If they really want to protect the environment, get into another line of business!


Japanese automaker Mazda Motor Corp. is recommending its employees walk to the office, rather than commute by car, as part of an effort to improve their health and protect the environment, a company spokesman said Friday.

Those meeting a set of requirements by going to the office on foot are eligible to receive 1,500 yen ($12) a month, Mazda spokesman Ken Haruki said.

Aimed at improving employees' health and to promote environment protection, Mazda introduced its "Eco-walk commutation allowance" on Thursday, Hakuki said.

Mazda, Japan's fourth-largest automaker based in Hiroshima, is the first Japanese car company to encourage its employees to walk and offer a monetary incentive, he said.

All of the company's 20,000 workers at domestic plants are eligible. The company has no plans to extend the program to those working outside Japan, Hakuki said.

Haruki said the allowance will be given to any Mazda employees who live more than two kilometers (1.24 miles) from the office and walk more than four kilometers (2.48 miles) in round trips at least 15 days a month.

Employees can get off a train or bus on their way to the office and take a walk over the distance to meet the requirements, Haruki said.

Yamaha Motor Co., a major Japanese motorcycle maker, introduced a similar eco-walk commutation system for its employees a year ago.

Real estate is at a $$$ premium in Japan. It's possible that by curbing the number of employees who drive to work, Hakuki might be saving $$$ by not having to add additional parking facilities. But if this were true, this wouldn't make good PR material.

If Henry Ford bicycled to work, then Mazda employees can surely walk to work.

I wonder why Mazda will not extend this policy to plants in the US. It sould be much cooler if they also included bikes, of course.

Every day on my commute to work I ride by GM's Grand River Assembly plant, formerly Oldsmobile's main facility. Sometimes I see a few motorcycles in their parking lot. They provide a bike rack for employees, but I have nevr seen it used. I don't see many Mazdas in the lot either. :) I don't know how many GM employees walk to work, but it's not a big crowd.

To be fair, I am the only employee who parks a bike by the hospital where I work, even on nice summer days.

Awesome!

Real estate is at a $$$ premium in Japan. It's possible that by curbing the number of employees who drive to work, Hakuki might be saving $$$ by not having to add additional parking facilities. But if this were true, this wouldn't make good PR material.

If Henry Ford bicycled to work, then Mazda employees can surely bicycle to work.
Doesn't Ford Motor Company own a major, controlling interest of Mazda?

If they really want to protect the environment, get into another line of business!
If you assumed that cars were for carrying heavy loads or traveling very long distances, then it would make sense for an automaker to discourage people who live nearby from driving to work. :)

Of course, heavy loads and long distances are not really what cars are used for.

[. . . .]
Of course, heavy loads and long distances are not really what cars are used for.
Have you seen the size of some of the people who drive them?


:)

:eek: so, I build frames at ellsworth, or cannondale, or whatever. If I DRIVE MY CAR, they'll give me 12$ a month. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH *******.

Real estate is at a $$$ premium in Japan. It's possible that by curbing the number of employees who drive to work, Hakuki might be saving $$$ by not having to add additional parking facilities. But if this were true, this wouldn't make good PR material.

If Henry Ford bicycled to work, then Mazda employees can surely bicycle to work.

That's exactly what I though when first reading the post. The lot must be full of cars and now their asking Mazda to spend more money on employee parking. It has nothing to do with the environment.

Every day on my commute to work I ride by GM's Grand River Assembly plant, formerly Oldsmobile's main facility. Sometimes I see a few motorcycles in their parking lot. They provide a bike rack for employees, but I have nevr seen it used. I don't see many Mazdas in the lot either. :) I don't know how many GM employees walk to work, but it's not a big crowd.

Hi. I live a few blocks/'bout half a mile from the old Jeep plant (home of the Wranglers), and over the course of last summer, I was really surprised to see bikes a couple of times on the bike rack, as well as a whole crap-load of motorcycles (mostly Harleys). Now, you know that these folks actually chose to ride, as they make the big $$$ there...LOL. Anyway, it REALLY (and pleasantly!) surprised me, as I usually don't see any other cyclists on the roads when I go out. (other than the poor)

This is just to crazy to believe. If they really want to protect the environment, get into another line of business!


Japanese automaker Mazda Motor Corp. is recommending its employees walk to the office, rather than commute by car, as part of an effort to improve their health and protect the environment, a company spokesman said Friday.

Those meeting a set of requirements by going to the office on foot are eligible to receive 1,500 yen ($12) a month, Mazda spokesman Ken Haruki said.

Aimed at improving employees' health and to promote environment protection, Mazda introduced its "Eco-walk commutation allowance" on Thursday, Hakuki said.

Mazda, Japan's fourth-largest automaker based in Hiroshima, is the first Japanese car company to encourage its employees to walk and offer a monetary incentive, he said.

All of the company's 20,000 workers at domestic plants are eligible. The company has no plans to extend the program to those working outside Japan, Hakuki said.

Haruki said the allowance will be given to any Mazda employees who live more than two kilometers (1.24 miles) from the office and walk more than four kilometers (2.48 miles) in round trips at least 15 days a month.

Employees can get off a train or bus on their way to the office and take a walk over the distance to meet the requirements, Haruki said.

Yamaha Motor Co., a major Japanese motorcycle maker, introduced a similar eco-walk commutation system for its employees a year ago.
I wonder if customers are eligible?