Are you regularly stuck in traffic jams? Go ride together!

Is shared driving – either carpooling, hitchhiking or collective transport – still really a solution for today's mobility issues? "Certainly, driving together is a promising part of the solution," says mobility broker Marc Kemink. 'Success depends on how you organize it and for whom.' Marc is a Mobility Maker at Brainport. 'I bring together supply and demand in the field of mobility in this region with four colleagues. I am working on the assignment along the A67. There I work with employers to see what solutions we can find for mobility issues.'

Driving together ensures better accessibility

Riding together is almost always on the table. 'That makes sense, because that can yield a lot. Especially with larger employers. If you can get 5% employees to drive to work together, you will at least need many fewer parking spaces. And there are many cars off the road. In this way you contribute to better accessibility in the region and therefore also of your own company. It also fits in with corporate social responsibility. Smaller businesses can work with neighbors to increase numbers. If it is successful, you can even use collective transport in the form of small buses. Or big buses.'

Customized transport project

Okay, well organizing driving together yields a lot. But how do you approach that as a company? 'Enabling Brainport Bereikbaar is a good start,' laughs Marc. 'We have a lot of experience with all kinds of existing and innovative transport concepts. This allows us to accurately assess in advance whether the project has a chance of success. For example, to ride together, the group must be large enough, the people must live reasonably close to each other and not have too flexible working hours. Furthermore, you have to approach it in a structured manner. We know parties that provide technical support and monitoring. Just think of suitable apps.'

All settled

Brainport Bereikbaar then ensures that as an employer you have little to worry about the project. 'We make the project completely proprietary. With its own look & feel and an introduction that fits the culture. We ensure that communication is and remains in order, that for example during action days people are approached at the gate, that they immediately download the app and that large groups register at the same time. This is necessary, because if it goes 1 by 1, the first has already dropped out the moment the second reports. Register and immediately see if there is a match: that works. And then reward that match.'

That must be rewarded!

Brainport Bereikbaar also provides advice about this reward. 'Employees can keep the travel allowance in any case, which is really a condition for success. The financial reward must go to them. But you can do more. For example, give them a reserved parking space. Preferably at the entrance. Or an extra day off every year for a quick detour. And don't force people, but let them choose between other options. The car, but preferably also other rewarded means of transport such as bicycles and public transport. Forcing people to never come by car again is not good. But rewarding people: that works!'