Rachel Brody, Sustainable Travel Planning Officer

I started my current role back in 2010. Prior to joining the Sustainable Travel Team, I worked in the business support team for Highways at ECC. Before working at ECC I worked for a couple of charities and a university.

I studied Environmental Science at university and have had an interest in climate change since then. I wanted to work in sustainable travel as the way we travel affects us all and I wanted to be able to help people change their behaviours.

The team I work in; we all get on really well and work well together. Our skills all complement each other’s. Throughout endless lockdowns we have stayed in touch by doing weekly team calls which we’ve found beneficial for our mental health.

A large part of my role is working on the Department for Transport e-scooter trials. In Essex we currently have short term rental schemes in Basildon, Chelmsford and Colchester and have long term hire schemes in Braintree and Brentwood. The trials have been operating for just over a year now and in that time, we have had over 600,000 rides, including free rides provided to more than 1,000 NHS workers, subsidised rates to hundreds of students and nearly 100 low income individuals since the launch in Dec 2020.

Probably my parents, they were really supportive of me growing up and always encouraged me to do my best.

I was once able to play the clarinet at grade 8 level.

Being buried alive… I think I’ve watched too many crime dramas.

David Attenborough, Dave Grohl and Tom Hardy.

Being able to fly. Not sure what I’d do with this power but it would be amazing to try it!

I love a good Indian takeaway. Also, salt and vinegar crisps, but not at the same time!

When I was in the 6th form at school I had a part time job working in the local farm shop. It was all ok apart from the job we had to do each Sunday morning which was clearing out the rotten fruit and veg from all the trays in the shop. It was like Russian roulette sometimes as to which potato would be slimy when you picked it up!

Continuing with the work on the e-scooters, we are running the trials throughout 2022 as the DfT want to be able to obtain more data to help with the decision around legalising privately owned e-scooters. Continuing with the work on the e-scooters, we are running the trials throughout 2022 as the DfT want to be able to obtain more data to help with the decision around legalising privately owned e-scooters.