by Lindsay Paterson
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- The French train company SNCF is opening crèches in a number of stations around France so that busy parents can drop off their offspring for the day before hopping on the train for the daily commute (Lexpress.fr, 15 April 2011).
- A test crèche opened in Roanne, near Lyon, in August 2010 and has been a success with parents who now make one less journey at the beginning and the end of the day.
- The crèches, which are staffed by childcare professionals, keep long hours, from 6:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. They will also stay open longer if there are delays to arriving trains.
- 13 new crèches are planned by the end of 2012 as part of a programme to revitalise French stations. Other additions will include bicycle repair shops, job centres and general stores.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- Combining the commute and the crèche in one place cuts out journey and adds precious minutes to both ends of the day.
- Time-crunched commuters crave practical solutions which give them greater control over the stress points in their day.
RESOURCES
