Opinion

Developments in integrated mobility provide fertile ground for smart corporate mobility

Major cities such as Barcelona, Paris and Rotterdam have liveability high on the agenda. Integrated mobility plays an important part in this by improving safety, supporting biodiversity and contributing to better air quality, among other things. But what exactly is integrated mobility, and why is it relevant for corporates?

Saskia Harreman (pictured), Smart Mobility Expert 
 
Integrated mobility is a crucial component in urban traffic management and a car-free city strategy. By blending different modes of transport (i.e. public and private transport options), integrated mobility significantly simplifies route planning and makes travelling more efficient while providing highly customised solutions. Therefore, smart and integrated mobility can provide flexible and sustainable options to your workforce who are commuting or travelling for business, while also having a high impact on local liveability. Nevertheless, integrated mobility is one of the most challenging topics to face in metropolitan areas. So, what makes it so tricky, and what does this mean for your organisation? 

The importance of seamless collaboration in the smart mobility ecosystem

A plethora of new mobility solutions are available nowadays from a huge number of different players, but these services are disparate and operate in isolation based on multiple platform types, technologies and value propositions. Public transport companies have a strong interest in promoting mass transit, whereas the primary aim of private companies is to increase their user base in order to grow revenues. Similarly, OEMs are keen to capture a large percentage of the car-sharing market and to sell their own vehicles into municipal transportation systems. For Big Tech companies such as Google, which is seeking to expand its map services, the most valuable aspect of integrated mobility is data collection. But despite all these different interests, the various players in the mobility ecosystem – public transport authorities, OEMs and providers of mobile apps, payment engines, mobile ticketing solutions, traffic flow monitoring, platform technology and connectivity – all have a complementary role to play. They must collaborate seamlessly in order to achieve the common goal: smart & sustainable mobility.
 

Help to shape the future success of smart corporate mobility

It is essential that all key stakeholders have an ‘integrated mobility’ perspective, and that includes you as a corporate organisation. With approximately half of the vehicles on the road today registered to corporates, you are likely to be directly impacted by cities’ integrated mobility and car-free strategies. There are various ways your company can adapt to this, for example by introducing shuttle services, public transport subsidies or car-sharing, and by developing new mobility policies. But you can also turn the liveability trend into a competitive advantage; besides helping you to save costs, integrated mobility can contribute to your sustainability targets by reducing emissions and can also position you as a more attractive employer – one who cares about the environment and who offers its workforce the flexibility of sustainable commuting options.

Opening up and scrutinising your mobility programme in the light of smart and integrated mobility emphasises your role as a critical stakeholder. Leading cities around the globe are encouraging dialogue between the public and private sectors. There is a lot to be gained by participating in such dialogue. You can play an active role in developing and deploying integrated mobility that works, both for you as an organisation, for your workforce and for the wider community. So why not look for a relevant integrated mobility initiative in your corporate domain and help to shape the future success of smart corporate mobility!
 

Join us at the Smart Mobility Conference on June 8th & 9th in Brussels. More info here soon.

Authored by: Saskia Harreman